Much thanks to all of you who notified me about receiving yesterday’s message intact and legible. I think that I found at least part of the problem—I activated active-x. Hope that does it in eliminating blank messages. If not, please let me know. I still have issues that require a technician, though they don’t interfere with reading my sendings. Hopefully the technician will come tomorrow and set things straight for the rest.
I apologize for the font being so large in yesterday’s mailing. That was done automatically, but I should have noticed and changed it to a more reasonable size.
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The message below contains 9 items, the last of these being several items under one heading.
The first item about Lifta does not ask us to take actions beyond distributing the message widely. But I would suggest that all of us write to our elected officials—local and national—and urge them to save Lifta. Israel has done its best and continues to do the same, namely rid the country of all historical evidence that Palestinians ever lived here. Now Israel is after the village of Lifta , its remains. Israel of course denies former residents or their descendents to live in Lifta. No. Israel would rather build luxury housing for wealthy people from abroad to use as summer or holiday residents. There are numerous villages in Israel which have remnants as churches and mosques and ruins, to which the former residents are not allowed to return, even though they live in Israel and have Israeli citizenship. These Palestinians are internal refugees.’ And even though places of worship in their former villages might still be standing, Israel does not allow Palestinians to use them. This should not be allowed! Imagine that if Jews would suffer the same. Imagine the ruckus that would be made. Please, if you can, do notify your elected officials of this situation. For more information on internal refugees see 1
Item 2 reports on the comments of US Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta telling Israel the dangers and ineffectiveness of attacking Iran , and commenting on Israel ’s isolation in the ME, and demanding that Israel get back to the table with the Palestinians. You very likely have heard or read this elsewhere—as it was in all the US and British major newspapers as well as in the Israeli ones. Israel ’s reactions (items 3 and 4) are predictable: ‘ Israel has to defend itself before the Iranians produce the bomb,’ and as for getting back to the table, well that this has not happened is the Palestinian’s fault. Of course neither Netanyahu nor Barak mentions the fact that Israel continues to steal Palestinian land, build more colonies and expand old ones, and in general take more and more of what might have been Palestine . ‘What,’ the Palestinians undoubtedly think, ‘is there to talk about?’ After all, actions do speak louder than words, don’t they?
Item 5 relates that Israeli women are fighting back against the fundamentalist ultra-orthodox dictates against women. At present, am not sure that the women will win. Israel ’s government is not battling fundamentalism overtaking Israel .
Item 6 relates in greater detail than the item that I sent off last night about Netanyahu ending the ad-campaign that seeks to bring Israelis who have emigrated back to Israel . I wonder after last summer’s protests why Israelis would want to return, regardless of any Israeli government promises. And in any event these ads promised nothing. They only played on the negative— not a great way to attract people to returning, by making them feel guilty. The positive aspect is the result : the outcry among American Jews. That speaks loudly of their decreasing identification with Israel .
Item 7 turns to the election results in Egypt . I would suspect that given the success of the Muslim Brotherhood that there indeed will be some change in Egypt ’s attitude towards Israel , as the article suggests. The Muslim Brotherhood might not necessarily be as warm to Israel as was Mubarak and the military, but might not necessarily end the peace treaty — at least not yet. It is too early to know exactly what that change will involve. After all, Turkey has a practicing Muslim head of state, but was nevertheless in excellent terms with Israel until Israel murdered 9 Turkish citizens on the Mavi Marmara and continues to refuse to apologize and compensate the families.
Item 8 relates Israel ’s solution to a possible change in Egyptian attitudes towards Israel : a fence ! Israel is building a fence on the Egyptian-Israel border. Israel must be one of the most fenced-in countries in the world. Does that bring security? Hardly. Tunnels go under fences and missiles fly over them.
Item 9 contains the latest headlines from Mondoweiss.
I would have liked to have sent you reports about the demonstrations in Bi’lin, Ni’lin, and in East Jerusalem that took place over the weekend (Friday and Saturday) but the messages about them have not come yet, and the Israeli media which used to at least mention the events no longer does—neither the radio news, TV news, nor newspapers. Not that these ever reported the facts, but they at least mentioned that demonstrations had taken place. Now there is silence. Has there been an order from above to not report these, or has the media decided that they interest no one?
That’ s it for this session.
All the best, with continued hopes that tomorrow will be a better day.
Dorothy
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Your views/comments are welcome….legal or otherwise.
With apologies if you receive this article through other mailings.
Earlier this year, the group 1948 Lest We Forget filed an application to the World Monuments Fund (WMF) to include the Palestinian village of Lifta in its 2012 World Monuments Watch List.
The WMF was chosen because it accepts nominations from individuals, institutions and organizations without the need for national or state endorsement. The fund is an independent organization registered as a charity and based in New York City . It is concerned with saving some of the world ’s most treasured places, whether great buildings, sites or singular monuments.
In preparing the application, we carried out extensive research on Lifta — its rich history, its unique architectural, cultural and social character — and found it to be an embodiment of everything Palestinian.
The tragic history of Lifta is no less important an element in its nomination than its special architectural character. This is because Lifta, unlike most other urban environments, was built by its own inhabitants who also owned the houses and the nearly 1,200 hectares (approximately 3,000 acres) which belonged to it.
The construction of Lifta’s cube-like buildings topped by their domed roofs was only possible because of the use of the single natural material the inhabitants employed : the special Jerusalem stone. The unique cluster of buildings seem to be embedded into the gentle slopes of the hills around them, and not one house vies for recognition over its neighbor. These houses are a perfect example of how to build a community in total harmony with the physical environment without pretense or architectural pastiche.
Alas, Lifta will see darker days ahead, should genuine efforts to save it from demolition fail.
Making the case for Lifta
Our application to the WMF included many illustrations, historical documents, indicative plans and some superb photographs taken at various periods of Lifta’s recent history. An important document included with the application was our “Save Lifta” petition which attracted 2,958 signatures from around the world. This number, at which point the petition was closed in time to file the application, symbolically represented the number of Lifta inhabitants in 1948 before it was ethnically cleansed. Had we kept the petition open, we were certain it would have attracted thousands of other signatures.
The 2012 WMF Watch List criteria for assessment and eventual selection of entries to its prestigious list include the significance of the site, the urgency of the conditions and the viability of feasible action (“World Monuments Fund, Nomination Guidelines”).
In our application, we carefully addressed them one by one with supporting material to show that Lifta deserved recognition and protection.
Of the above criteria, urgency was the most relevant in Lifta’s case because, as is now well-documented in reports published by The Electronic Intifada, The Guardian and elsewhere, the Israel Lands Administration (ILA), which claims to own Lifta and its surrounding terrain, has parcelled the village land for sale by tender to private developersto build more than 210 luxury housing units with shops, hotels and a museum for wealthy Jewish expatriates.
Nearby and slightly below the village, it has been reported that a secure tunnel is being planned and built to connect this site to the nearby Knesset (Israeli parliament) building for use by VIPs and state officials when the future development is completed.
All of this has been planned to be carried out under the noses of the few surviving original Lifta owners and their many descendants who have not been allowed to return to the village — although a good number of them have taken refuge only a few kilometers away.
Deceased family members cannot even be graced with a burial plot in Lifta. Even a return through death has been prevented. Living in proximity to Lifta, and being buried in it, we thought, would certainly meet the WMF 2012 Watch List’s two other criteria: relevance and significance. In our submission, we had included many more compelling reasons to meet these criteria.
On 11 February, the application was successfully filed and later confirmed by the WMF to be valid and in order. A decision date, we were told, was to be expected towards the end of September 2011. Due diligence required us to contact the WMF to ensure that all was on track. This was again confirmed.
During the last week of September, the WMF website announced that the jury had made their selection and the results would be announced on 28 September. On 1 October, we received by email a letter dated 29 September signed by Erica Avrami, Director of Research and Education at WMF. It included this statement: “We regret that the Lifta Village was not selected for inclusion in the 2012 Watch.”
Significance of Lifta as a heritage site
Lifta, for us, symbolizes not only the cultural, architectural and contextual importance of a heritage site, but also its political significance. Architectural history is full of such examples, whether single buildings, or a cluster of them, where the political element in fact played an important part in their formation and evolution.
Lifta, without doubt, is considered a “hot potato” because it is as much a symbol of the Palestinian tragedy as it is a physical manifestation of it. Could it have been, we tried to guess, Lifta’s “political” dimension which de-classified it from the Watch List?
In order that a future re-nomination of Lifta may be attempted, it was important for us to get an absolute understanding of the reasons why Lifta was de-selected in order that we may avoid derailment in the future. We spoke to Avrami at the WMF and, after a brief discussion , we asked her, “was the decision to exclude Lifta a political one ?” The answer came in an email about two weeks later and it confirmed our worst fears:
“ The Watch nomination for Lifta village incorrectly located the site in the Palestinian Territory , when it is in fact within the current borders of Israel [our emphasis]. Factual inaccuracies are something taken into consideration in the review and selection process.”
It is worth repeating here that our application was accepted and validated back in February and there were no questions raised at the time, or since, about Lifta’s geographical location. Our application had clearly showed Lifta’s coordinates on the map which accompanied the application and positively placed it inside the Corpus Separatumzone designated by the 1947 Partition Plan under UN Resolution 181.
As the reason for disqualifying Lifta is seen now to be its geographical location and not necessarily the other criteria, we felt that we were about to be embroiled in a debate on an issue which sits at the core of the Israel-Palestine question.
For the sake of historical correctness, we had no choice but to rely on international conventions to safeguard Lifta from physical oblivion. An extract of the UN Resolution 181 Partition map was sent to the WMF with another map showing the UN designated are of Jerusalem and its environs within the Corpus Separatum international zone. Lifta sat comfortably inside that zone, and as the WMF response emphasized “the current borders of Israel ,” we also sent the WMF another extract of the UN map showing the 1949 Armistice Lines which wrapped around West Jerusalem and the village of Lifta at the cessation of hostilities.
We explained that these lines are exactly what they were meant to be according to international legal definitions: “Armistice Lines represent where the hostilities between the parties ceased until the warring parties reach final agreement.” This is in accordance with international law and the Geneva Convention.
In its response dated 1 November, the WMF wrote:
“World Monuments Fund is a private, not-for-profit organization that undertakes the World Monuments Watch as part of advocacy work on behalf of heritage around the world. We are not an intergovernmental organization that must abide by international conventions …” (my emphasis).
However, the WMF is part of the United Nations, listed under the “Official Relations” section of UNESCO. By definition, therefore, it is required to respect international law (“UNESCO – World Monuments Fund).
But as is usually the case at the UN, rights take a back seat to politics. The US State Department’s “Diplomacy In Action” section created the US Ambassadors Fund for Cultural Preservation, which has donated over $2 million to the WMF. In view of the fact that the US has punished UNESCO for admitting Palestine as a member on 31 October 2011, the political link between the State Department funding and the WMF cannot be underestimated.
Despite the WMF’s refusal to include Lifta on its watch list, the village’s fate appears directly relevant to the organization’s work. This can be seen from a comment made by Bonnie Burnham, the WMF’s president, in a 2006 interview with the National Trust for Historic Preservation:
“Time, war, and politics are destroyers of monuments. Which is the biggest threat? In a global context, unquestionably, the biggest is war. In addition to destroying buildings, armed conflict destroys the entire national capacity to deal with heritage” (“The Short Answer: Bonnie Burnham”).
If the WMF was prepared to address that threat, surely it would be acting to save Lifta.
Antoine Raffoul is a chartered Palestinian architect living and practicing in London . He is also a coordinator of1948 Lest We Forget and can be reached at info AT 1948 DOT org DOT uk .
Leon Panetta US urges Israel to end isolation in Middle East
The US defence secretary, Leon Panetta, says Israel is not solely responsible but could do more to reverse isolation
Associated Press
US defence secretary Leon Panetta has urged Israel to end isolation in the Middle East . Photograph: Pool/Reuters
US defence secretary Leon Panetta has urged Israel to “reach out and mend fences” with Turkey, Egypt and other security partners in the Middle East, saying he is troubled by the Jewish state’s growing isolation in the volatile region.
In a speech at a Brookings Institution forum in Washington , Panetta said that while Israel is not solely responsible for its isolation, it could more actively attempt to reverse the trend.
“For example, Israel can reach out and mend fences with those who share an interest in regional stability countries like Turkey and Egypt , as well as Jordan ,” he said.
“This is not impossible. If the gestures are rebuked, the world will see those rebukes for what they are. And that is exactly why Israel should pursue them.”
He also pressed Israeli leaders to do more to restart peace talks with the Palestinians – saying “Just get to the damned table” – and underscored Barack Obama’s determination to stop Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons.
He called Iran “a very grave threat to all of us” and said any Iranian disruption of the free flow of commerce through the Persian Gulf is a “red line” for the US .
Panetta, 73, who made his first visit to Israel as Pentagon chief in October, said it is in the interests of Israel as well as Turkey , a Nato ally of the US , to reconcile. He said he would take that message to Ankara when he visits there in two weeks.
He urged the Israelis to address their concerns about Egypt ‘s political revolution through increased communication and co-operation with Egyptian authorities, ” not by stepping away from them”.
Addressing an issue that is in the primary domain of secretary of state Hillary Clinton, Panetta urged Israel to “lean forward” to achieve peace with the Palestinians. Peace talks have been moribund for more than a year.
“Rather than undermining the Palestinian Authority, it is in Israel ‘s interests to strengthen it by … continuing to transfer Palestinian tax revenues and pursuing other avenues of co-operation,” he said.
Panetta spoke starkly of the challenge of Iran ‘s nuclear ambitions.
“No greater threat exists to the security and prosperity of the Middle East than a nuclear-armed Iran ,” he said, adding that Obama has not ruled out using military force to stop Iran from going nuclear.
In a question-and-answer session with his audience after his speech, Panetta laid out in detail his thinking on the arguments against an Israeli or US military attack on Iran ‘s nuclear facilities.
He said such an attack would “at best” delay Iran ‘s nuclear programme by one or two years. Among the unintended consequences, he said, would be an increase in regional support for Iran and the likelihood of Iranian retaliation against US forces and bases in the Middle East . It also would have harmful economic consequences and could lead to military escalation, he said.
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3. Haaretz
Saturday, December 03, 2011
Israel blames Palestinians for deadlock in talks
A day after U.S. Defense Secretary Leon Panetta urged Israeli leaders to ‘just get to the damned table,’ Netanyahu spokesman says Palestinians ‘playing games.’
By The Associated Press
Tags: Iran Iran nuclear Israel Turkey Israel US Iran US
A spokesman for Israel ‘s prime minister is blaming the Palestinian leadership for the deadlock in peace talks, a day after the U.S. defense secretary said that Israel was not doing enough to renew negotiations.
Mark Regev, a spokesman for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, said Israel remains ready for the resumption of peace talks without preconditions. The Palestinians, he said on Saturday, are “playing diplomatic games to try to cover their position, which is to boycott Israel and to refuse to enter negotiations.”
At a Brookings Institution forum on Friday, U.S. Defense Secretary Leon Panetta urged Israeli leaders to “just get to the damned table.” He added that Israel could more actively attempt to mend ties with Turkey and Egypt , and reverse its growing isolation in the Middle East .
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4. Haaretz
Saturday, December 3, 2011
Barak: We can’t wait until Iran has nuclear bomb
Defense Minister says in a television interview that no option should be taken off the table, yet said he does not think a clandestine war has already begun.
By Haaretz
Tags : Ehud Barak Benjamin Netanyahu Iran Iran nuclear
Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak said on Saturday that Iran is getting closer to developing a nuclear bomb, and that new and more crippling sanctions should be imposed on the Islamic Republic.
Speaking on “Meet the Press,” a Channel 2 program, Barak denied however that the latest blasts that occurred in Iran mark the beginning of a military campaign. Barak said actions against Iran are being carried out in the diplomatic sphere, through sanctions and through the activities of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). When asked if a clandestine war against Iran has already begun, he replied: “I think the answer to that is no.”
” Iran is getting close to the bomb, and the sanctions should be quick, focused and stronger,” Barak said. “We can’t wait and say – we’ll see if they have a bomb, and then we’ll act. What if by then we will not be able to act?”
In response to U.S. Defense Secretary Leon Panetta’ speech yesterday, in which he urged Israel not to act alone against Iran , Barak said Panetta’s full message is more complex than that.
“We are in constant dialogue with the Americans,” he said, “I’ve met Panetta about a dozen times over the last two or three years. In person we hold more intensive talks.”
Barak said the entire international community agrees that the diplomatic course and the use of sanctions must be exhausted, yet added that “no option should be taken off the table. Israel is responsible for its security, its future and its existence.”
He also responded to recent statements by senior Israeli officials, who warned against a military strike on Iran and criticized Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s conduct.
“The prime minister and I don’t make decisions alone,” he said. “Every decision is made after hearing (the opinions) of all bodies, professionals and (after reviewing) recommendations.” Barak said there is room for public debate about the Iranian nuclear program, but the way in which the discourse is taking place is harmful.
Asked about the victory of the Islamic parties in the Egyptian elections, Barak said that “the Islamization process in Arab countries is very disturbing. It is too early to tell how these changes will affect the area. I hope any government formed in Egypt will understand there is no choice but to maintain the framework of international agreements, which include the peace agreement with Israel .”
On the topic of the deadlock in talks between Israel and the Palestinians, Barak said Israel sees talks as one of its main objectives.
“Anyone who reads between the lines can see a change in the Israeli position. The government is willing to hold direct negotiations at any moment, with no preconditions. We have to move toward negotiations, but things don’t happen in an empty space,” he said.
He also added he is willing to meet Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas “right now.”
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5. Guardian
Friday, December 2, 2011 16.24 GMT
Israeli women fight back against Jerusalem billboard vandals
Women in UK and US urged to send photographs of themselves to counter ultra-orthodox campaign against images of women
Harriet Sherwood in Jerusalem
Shira Ben-Sasson Furstenberg: We’re experiencing a snowball effect.’ Photograph : New Israel Fund
Jewish women in the Britain and the US are being urged to send photographs of themselves holding signs saying “women should be seen and heard” in a campaign against efforts by the ultra-orthodox to remove female images from advertising billboards in Jerusalem .
The New Israel Fund (NIF) is planning to compile the photographs into posters to display in Jerusalem .
Similar posters of Israeli women are being displayed by Yerushalmim, an organisation opposed to religious extremism and gender segregation which is funded by the NIF.
The appeal to British and American Jewish women is to show “this struggle is not just waged by the women of Jerusalem alone. It is the struggle of people of conscience everywhere”, says the NIF.
Its appeal follows pressure from extremist ultra-orthodox, or Haredi, Jews on advertisers to remove images of women.
Among the companies which have complied is the Israeli fashion brand Honigman, which cropped a female model’s head from its Jerusalem poster displays. Billboards which continue to show images of women have been vandalised.
Ohad Gibli of the Canaan advertising agency, which launched a campaign to attract organ donors using only images of men, told Israel Army Radio: “We have learned that an ad campaign in Jerusalem … that includes pictures of women will remain up for hours at best, and in other cases, will lead to the vandalisation and torching of buses.”
Opponents say images of women have been almost eliminated in Jerusalem . “Advertisers are caving in to the demands of extremist ultra-orthodox groups,” says the NIF email. “Even ballet studios and women’s clothing stores have stopped using photos of women.”
The email continues: “When the advertisers eliminate images of women, they reinforce a world view in which women must be hidden, where women can’t have any meaningful role outside of the home. That’s what happens when religious extremism overwhelms basic freedoms.”
Shira Ben-Sasson Furstenberg of the NIF, who describes herself as liberal orthodox, said: “We’re experiencing a snowball effect. And we can’t say that the only people being affected are Haredi, because it’s not only Haredi women – and even the Haredi women don’t want it.”
The secular mayor of Jerusalem , Nir Barkat, has publicly opposed the Haredi campaign. “We must make sure that those who want to advertise [with] women’s images in the city can do so without fear of vandalism and defacement of billboards or buses showing women,” he has said.
Extremist ultra-orthodox groups have also demanded the segregation of women and men on public transport and separate hours, entrances or queues at supermarkets, post offices and medical centres.
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6. NY Times
Friday, December 2, 2011
After American Jewish Outcry , Israel Ends Ad Campaign Aimed at Expatriates
By ISABEL KERSHNER and JOSEPH BERGER
JERUSALEM —
One video advertisement shows a Jewish elderly couple distraught that their Israeli granddaughter in the United States thinks Hanukkah is Christmas. Another shows a clueless American boyfriend who does not get why his Israeli expatriate girlfriend is saddened on Israel ’s memorial day. A third shows a toddler calling “Daddy! Daddy!” to his napping Israeli expatriate father, who finally awakens when the child switches to Hebrew: “Abba!”
For many American Jews, the Israeli government-sponsored ads, intended to cajole Israelis living in the United States to come home, smacked of arrogance, ignorance and cultural disrespect of America . Jewish groups in the United States expressed outrage, saying they were causing a rift with American Jews who support Israel . On Friday, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu aborted the campaign.
The ads — short videos and billboard posters — were intended to touch the sensibilities of Israeli expatriates and tap into their national identity, according to the Ministry of Immigrant Absorption, which oversaw the campaign.
But critics said the ads implied that moving to America led to assimilation and an erosion of Jewish consciousness. The Jewish Federations of North America called them insulting. Abraham H. Foxman, national director of the Anti-Defamation League, called the videos “heavy-handed, and even demeaning.”
Israeli officials defended the desire to encourage Israeli expatriates to return, but the reaction of American Jewry, a crucial mainstay of support for Israel , clearly caused alarm.
“We are very attentive to the sensitivities of the American Jewish community,” said Mark Regev , a spokesman for Mr. Netanyahu. “When we understood there was a problem, the prime minister immediately ordered the campaign to be suspended.”
The ads were placed by the Ministry for Immigrant Absorption, headed by Sofa Landver, who immigrated to Israel from Russia in 1979. She belongs to the ultra-nationalist Yisrael Beiteinu party led by Israel ’s foreign minister, Avigdor Lieberman. The party takes a hard line on the peace process with the Palestinians and advocates exchanging parts of Israel heavily populated by Arab citizens for Jewish settlement blocs in the West Bank.
A spokesman for the ministry, Elad Sonn, said no insult had been intended; the ministry “respects and cherishes” the American Jewish community, and “we wish to apologize to those who might have been offended.”
Some of the videos were still accessible Friday on the ministry’s Web site (http://www.moia.gov.il/Moia_en/ReturningHomeProject/).
Beckoning the Jewish diaspora, of course, has always been a component of Zionism, a foundation for the Jewish homeland. Immigrants are referred to almost reverentially as “olim,” Hebrew for “going up.” Israelis who leave are “yordim,” Hebrew for “going down,” often uttered disdainfully.
The videos ran on Web sites popular with expatriates. Billboard versions went up in American communities where expatriates live.
Some Israeli officials were mystified by the belatedness of the reaction; the campaign is a few months old. Attention increased after an item on it appeared on the Jewish Channel, a cable station, and a blog was posted this week by Jeffrey Goldberg, a writer for The Atlantic.
“The idea, communicated in these ads, that America is no place for a proper Jew, and that a Jew who is concerned about the Jewish future should live in Israel , is archaic, and also chutzpadik, if you don’t mind me resorting to the vernacular,” Mr. Goldberg said.
On Thursday, the Jewish Federations of North America issued a memo that said: “While we recognize the motivations behind the ad campaign, we are strongly opposed to the messaging that American Jews do not understand Israel . We share the concerns many of you have expressed that this outrageous and insulting message could harm the Israel-Diaspora relationship.”
Steven Bayme, director of contemporary Jewish life at the American Jewish Committee, said that the campaign’s skepticism of Jewish life in the United States contributed to the angry reaction, particularly the message that Israelis should not marry American Jews. “We’re talking about one Jewish people, and certainly encouraging marriage within the Jewish people is something everyone would sign on to,” he said.
Mr. Foxman called the campaign “a reflection of the ignorance that exists in Israel of Jewish life in America , its vitality, its creativity.” Still, he said, Israel ’s decision to stop the ads showed “that they’re listening and it does matter how we feel.”
Isabel Kershner reported from Jerusalem , and Joseph Berger from New York .
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7. Jerusalem Post Saturday,
December 3, 2011
Photo by: Reuters
Israel biggest loser from Muslim Brotherhood win in Egypt ‘
By KHALED ABU TOAMEH
03/12/2011
Top Hamas representative in W. Bank says PA leadership also stands to lose from Islamists’ rise to power in Arab world: “Any victory for the Muslim Brotherhood is a victory for Hamas.”
Israel is the biggest loser from the strong showing of the Muslim Brotherhood in the Egyptian parliamentary election, Hamed Bitawi, a top Hamas representative in the West Bank, said Saturday.
Bitwai’s comment came as Hamas expressed relief over the Muslim Brotherhood victory.
The Muslim Brotherhood triumph in Egypt, Tunisia and Morocco elections comes on the eve of preparations for celebrations marking the 24th anniversary of Hamas’s founding in the Gaza Strip.
