Het is duidelijk wie de grote spelbreker in vrede tussen Israël en haar buren is:
Meanwhile, the London-based a-Sharq al-Awset reported on Sunday that Iran is planning to provide the Islamist Hamas movement with advanced weapons in response to the announcement of renewed negotiations between Israel and Syria.
Vandaar dat Hamas weigert met een staakt-het-vuren deal in te stemmen die niet voorziet in de mogelijkheid wapens via Egypte Gaza in te smokkelen. Vandaar dat meer druk op Israël om 'de blokkade van Gaza op te heffen' niet de vrede, maar Hamas in de kaart speelt.
Ratna
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Shin Bet: Hamas rockets could hit far beyond Ashkelon
By Barak Ravid, Haaretz Correspondent, Haaretz Service and News Agencies
Last update - 20:56 25/05/2008
www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/986810.html
Last update - 20:56 25/05/2008
www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/986810.html
The head of the Shin Bet security service Yuval Diskin warned Sunday that the Palestinian militant group Hamas, which controls the Gaza Strip, now has rockets capable of striking beyond Ashkelon, and possibly reaching as far as Ashdod and Kiryat Gat.
Palestinians have been firing homemade Qassam rockets at the Negev town of Sderot, some 5 kilometers from the Gaza border, for the past seven years. Recently, however, they have been able to reach Ashkelon, some 12 km away. Diskin's assessment is that they have now doubled their range.
The Shin Bet chief, who made the comments at the weekly cabinet meeting in Jerusalem, based his assertion on information attained by the security service.
"As long as there is no substantial prevention of smuggling between Sinai and Gaza, and currently there is none, it is only a matter of time until Hamas will acquire rockets that can reach even further," he added.
Hamas, along with other militant groups in Gaza, has pounded southern Israel with rocket fire for the last seven years. Rocket and mortar attacks from Gaza in recent weeks have killed two Israeli civilians, and wounded dozens more.
Meanwhile, the London-based a-Sharq al-Awset reported on Sunday that Iran is planning to provide the Islamist Hamas movement with advanced weapons in response to the announcement of renewed negotiations between Israel and Syria.
The newspaper also reported that Hamas' political bureau chief, Khled Meshal, met with senior Iranian officials including the leader of the Revolutionary Guard while in Tehran this weekend.
According to the report, the Iranian officials promised Meshal that Tehran would continue to support the Islamist group.
During a joint press conference with Iranian Foreign Minister Manochehr Mottaki on Sunday, Meshal said that Prime Minister Ehud Olmert was too "weak" to take the necessary steps for peace with Syria. He also expressed doubts about Israel's seriousness in negotiations.
"There is great skepticism concerning the seriousness (of Israel) to return the Golan," Meshal said, referring to a strategic plateau captured by Israel in 1967.
"It's maneuvering and playing with all the (negotiating) tracks - it's a well known game and besides, Olmert's weakness will not allow him to take this step," he added.
Meshal, who resides in Damascus, was careful not to criticize Syria's decision to restart negotiations with Israel and said he was sure the renewed talks would not come at the expense of the Palestinian track.
Prime Minister Ehud Olmert has said that the negotiations with Syria and the Palestinians would be conducted simultaneously.
Israeli officials feel that there is a better chance of reaching an agreement with the Syrians than with the Palestinians, and a Syrian agreement has a better chance of being implemented.
The sources say it should be easier to reach a deal with the Syrians because the issues on the Syrian front are only territorial, while those relating to the Palestinians concern a number of sensitive matters including land.
Israel has stipulated that as part of the renewed negotiations, Syria must sever its contacts with Iran, and with the militants Hamas and Hezbollah organization.
Syria has rejected the precondition. The state-run Tishrin said in Saturday's editorial that any preconditions to a deal would put the carriage before the horse and Syria's relations with other nations were not on the bargaining table.
Sources close to Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad on Friday said that he was unable to conceal his disappointment and surprise at the news of the renewed peace talks.
In an interview with al-Sharq al-Awsat, the sources said that Ahmadinejad characterized the reports as a violation by Damascus of the two countries' mutual responsibilities toward one another.
Palestinians have been firing homemade Qassam rockets at the Negev town of Sderot, some 5 kilometers from the Gaza border, for the past seven years. Recently, however, they have been able to reach Ashkelon, some 12 km away. Diskin's assessment is that they have now doubled their range.
The Shin Bet chief, who made the comments at the weekly cabinet meeting in Jerusalem, based his assertion on information attained by the security service.
"As long as there is no substantial prevention of smuggling between Sinai and Gaza, and currently there is none, it is only a matter of time until Hamas will acquire rockets that can reach even further," he added.
Hamas, along with other militant groups in Gaza, has pounded southern Israel with rocket fire for the last seven years. Rocket and mortar attacks from Gaza in recent weeks have killed two Israeli civilians, and wounded dozens more.
Meanwhile, the London-based a-Sharq al-Awset reported on Sunday that Iran is planning to provide the Islamist Hamas movement with advanced weapons in response to the announcement of renewed negotiations between Israel and Syria.
The newspaper also reported that Hamas' political bureau chief, Khled Meshal, met with senior Iranian officials including the leader of the Revolutionary Guard while in Tehran this weekend.
According to the report, the Iranian officials promised Meshal that Tehran would continue to support the Islamist group.
During a joint press conference with Iranian Foreign Minister Manochehr Mottaki on Sunday, Meshal said that Prime Minister Ehud Olmert was too "weak" to take the necessary steps for peace with Syria. He also expressed doubts about Israel's seriousness in negotiations.
"There is great skepticism concerning the seriousness (of Israel) to return the Golan," Meshal said, referring to a strategic plateau captured by Israel in 1967.
"It's maneuvering and playing with all the (negotiating) tracks - it's a well known game and besides, Olmert's weakness will not allow him to take this step," he added.
Meshal, who resides in Damascus, was careful not to criticize Syria's decision to restart negotiations with Israel and said he was sure the renewed talks would not come at the expense of the Palestinian track.
Prime Minister Ehud Olmert has said that the negotiations with Syria and the Palestinians would be conducted simultaneously.
Israeli officials feel that there is a better chance of reaching an agreement with the Syrians than with the Palestinians, and a Syrian agreement has a better chance of being implemented.
The sources say it should be easier to reach a deal with the Syrians because the issues on the Syrian front are only territorial, while those relating to the Palestinians concern a number of sensitive matters including land.
Israel has stipulated that as part of the renewed negotiations, Syria must sever its contacts with Iran, and with the militants Hamas and Hezbollah organization.
Syria has rejected the precondition. The state-run Tishrin said in Saturday's editorial that any preconditions to a deal would put the carriage before the horse and Syria's relations with other nations were not on the bargaining table.
Sources close to Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad on Friday said that he was unable to conceal his disappointment and surprise at the news of the renewed peace talks.
In an interview with al-Sharq al-Awsat, the sources said that Ahmadinejad characterized the reports as a violation by Damascus of the two countries' mutual responsibilities toward one another.
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