After Hamas won the Palestinian Authority election last month, Acting Prime Minister Ehud Olmert announced that he was freezing all payments to the PA. Shortly afterwards, however, he decided that he would actually transfer the next monthly payment of tax monies.
This decision was followed by tough talk against transferring future money unless Hamas changed its raison d'etre and agreed to recognize Israel. As of now, the latest government position is that it will not object to the international community funding "humanitarian" needs in the PA.
Likud Chairman and prime ministerial candidate Binyamin Netanyahu, speaking today to a delegation of the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations, ridiculed Olmert's shifting-sands approach. Netanyahu said that Olmert changes his policies vis-a-vis the PA daily, and that Kadima has already caused a corrosion of the international opposition to Hamas.
Kadima responded to Netanyahu's attacks with this statement:
"Israel is stronger than Bibi. His scare campaign scares no one but himself. Bibi has no idea how to deal with this complex situation. The Government of Israel will continue with its balanced and responsible policy, and will insist on the fulfillment of the conditions it set vis-a-vis the international community."
Labor MK Ophir Pines told Israel Radio today,
"First he says no, then yes, then no, then something in the middle... But we have to understand why this is happening. It's not because Olmert and his colleagues are rash, Heaven forbid, or not smart. It's rather because they have so many opposing opinions among themselves - there is Mofaz [formerly of the Likud], and Shimon Peres [a long-time Labor Party leader], and Tzippy Livny [formerly of the Likud], each with his own ideas."
Israel Radio hostess Carmit Guy tried to convince Pines to "understand" the government's difficulties in light of the current uncertainties within Hamas itself and in the political arena in general.
Asked what he himself would recommend, Pines said,
"We definitely should not give Hamas any money unless they change their charter. On the other hand, we also cannot declare war on the entire Palestinian nation. What kind of talk is this about starving them? Not all of them are enemies; there are many forces there that are in favor of peace."
Jibril Rajoub, a former para-military security chief within Fatah, admitted today that Hamas, as the winner of the election, would soon take charge of security forces in the Palestinian Authority.
This decision was followed by tough talk against transferring future money unless Hamas changed its raison d'etre and agreed to recognize Israel. As of now, the latest government position is that it will not object to the international community funding "humanitarian" needs in the PA.
Likud Chairman and prime ministerial candidate Binyamin Netanyahu, speaking today to a delegation of the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations, ridiculed Olmert's shifting-sands approach. Netanyahu said that Olmert changes his policies vis-a-vis the PA daily, and that Kadima has already caused a corrosion of the international opposition to Hamas.
Kadima responded to Netanyahu's attacks with this statement:
"Israel is stronger than Bibi. His scare campaign scares no one but himself. Bibi has no idea how to deal with this complex situation. The Government of Israel will continue with its balanced and responsible policy, and will insist on the fulfillment of the conditions it set vis-a-vis the international community."
Labor MK Ophir Pines told Israel Radio today,
"First he says no, then yes, then no, then something in the middle... But we have to understand why this is happening. It's not because Olmert and his colleagues are rash, Heaven forbid, or not smart. It's rather because they have so many opposing opinions among themselves - there is Mofaz [formerly of the Likud], and Shimon Peres [a long-time Labor Party leader], and Tzippy Livny [formerly of the Likud], each with his own ideas."
Israel Radio hostess Carmit Guy tried to convince Pines to "understand" the government's difficulties in light of the current uncertainties within Hamas itself and in the political arena in general.
Asked what he himself would recommend, Pines said,
"We definitely should not give Hamas any money unless they change their charter. On the other hand, we also cannot declare war on the entire Palestinian nation. What kind of talk is this about starving them? Not all of them are enemies; there are many forces there that are in favor of peace."
Jibril Rajoub, a former para-military security chief within Fatah, admitted today that Hamas, as the winner of the election, would soon take charge of security forces in the Palestinian Authority.