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What Is Hamas Trying to Achieve by Fighting Israel?
(Jerusalem Post) Khaled Abu Toameh - Hamas believes it has already scored points with the Palestinian public. First, Hamas succeeded in hijacking the protests that erupted between Palestinians and the Israel Police in Jerusalem at the beginning of Ramadan. When Mohammed Deif, commander of Hamas' Izzadin al-Qassam Brigades, issued a threat against Israel over Jerusalem, many Palestinians there began chanting slogans praising him and Hamas. Second, Hamas' decision to fire rockets at Jerusalem on Monday has enabled it to present itself as a credible "resistance" group supporting the Palestinians in Jerusalem. Third, Hamas now appears in the eyes of many Palestinians as the only Palestinian faction willing to stand up against Israel, at a time when the Palestinian Authority and the Arab and Islamic countries are restricted to paying lip service. The writer is a fellow of the Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs.