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The Mecca Deal and Beyond

[Ynet News] Ron Ben-Yishai - The Mecca deal is first and foremost an intra-Palestinian matter. It reflects the new balance of power, both politically and militarily, between Hamas and Fatah. The agreement between the two factions is pragmatic and meant to enable them to end the mutual bloodshed and receive hundreds of millions of dollars from the Saudis and Europeans. Therefore, from a diplomatic point of view, the deal is bad for Israel. It lifts the international pressure on Hamas to moderate its positions and enables it to establish itself in power without changing its ideological stance. On the other hand, the Mecca deal weakens the influence of Iran. Hamas will continue building its new military infrastructure in Gaza based on the second Lebanon War's lessons. The smuggling tunnels on the Philadelphi route are operating with no interruptions and the lack of monitoring at the Rafah crossing allows arms, technological know-how and terrorists to constantly pour into Gaza. Therefore, it would be appropriate to keep expectations low in Israel and prepare for a situation where in a few months Israel will have no choice but to launch a wide-scale operation in Gaza.
2007-02-12 01:00:00
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