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Hamas defies Israeli ban on East Jerusalem campaign
Hamas' candidates attend an election campaign rally in Gaza City
The Palestinian resistance movement HAMAS decided to defy an Israeli ban on Palestinian campaigning in occupied East Jerusalem, BBC reported.
Earlier on Monday, Israel’s Internal Security Minister said that Israel will allow Palestinian candidates to campaign in East Jerusalem for the legislative election on Jan. 25 as long as they don’t belong to resistance groups.
Minister Gideon Ezra told Israel Radio that those who want to campaign in the area would have to get permission from Israeli police, stressing that HAMAS candidates and supporters will be banned from electioneering in the city.
"Anyone who is a supporter of HAMAS will not receive permission," he told Israel Radio.
Ezra also noted that Israel didn’t decide on whether Jerusalem Palestinians will be allowed to vote in the poll, a key demand by the Palestinians who want the city as a capital of a future independent state.
Last week, Israeli police barred Palestinian candidates from campaigning in the city, drawing a call by the United States for the Israeli government to allow Jerusalem Palestinians access to the parliamentary elections.
* 'Unjust'
A HAMAS official said the movement has already started campaigning in East Jerusalem.
"This is an internal Palestinian decision and internal Palestinian issue, so we've already started our campaign in East Jerusalem, and if Israeli forces want to stop some means of campaigning, we have alternative means and we can use them in our campaigning," Ziad Dayeh, the campaign manager for Hamas told BBC World TV.
The Israeli ban also drew protests from Palestinian President MAHMOUD ABBAS’ ruling FATAH party, though it is facing strong challenge from HAMAS.
"In order to have a free and fair election, either there is campaigning for all candidates, including HAMAS, or there will be no campaigning," said Hatem Abdel-Qader of Fatah.
Another FATAH candidate in East Jerusalem, Hatim Abdelqadir, described the Israeli conditions as unjust. And independent, Hanan Ashrawi - who had been stopped by Israeli police from campaigning last week - also rejected the Israeli ban, demanding the Israeli government to clarify whether it would carry out its threat to bar Palestinians from voting in East Jerusalem.
Another independent, MUSTAFA BARGHOUTI, said the Israeli decision was a mere public relations exercise.
Israel had earlier warned that it would block voting in East Jerusalem if HAMAS participated in the election, and ABBAS has said he would delay the polls if voting is barred in East Jerusalem.
But Israeli opposition softened late last month with senior officials saying they didn’t want ABBAS to blame them for damaging the Palestinian political process.
Correspondents say that Israeli announcement is a significant one by acting Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, who took power when ARIEL SHARON was hospitalized last week. SHARON had put off the decision on Palestinian campaigning and voting in East Jerusalem.
Israel seized and then annexed east Jerusalem after the 1967 Middle East war, but the international community still considers the area, home to almost 200,000 Palestinians, as occupied territory.
Want more reports?
Hamas' candidates attend an election campaign rally in Gaza City
The Palestinian resistance movement HAMAS decided to defy an Israeli ban on Palestinian campaigning in occupied East Jerusalem, BBC reported.
Earlier on Monday, Israel’s Internal Security Minister said that Israel will allow Palestinian candidates to campaign in East Jerusalem for the legislative election on Jan. 25 as long as they don’t belong to resistance groups.
Minister Gideon Ezra told Israel Radio that those who want to campaign in the area would have to get permission from Israeli police, stressing that HAMAS candidates and supporters will be banned from electioneering in the city.
"Anyone who is a supporter of HAMAS will not receive permission," he told Israel Radio.
Ezra also noted that Israel didn’t decide on whether Jerusalem Palestinians will be allowed to vote in the poll, a key demand by the Palestinians who want the city as a capital of a future independent state.
Last week, Israeli police barred Palestinian candidates from campaigning in the city, drawing a call by the United States for the Israeli government to allow Jerusalem Palestinians access to the parliamentary elections.
* 'Unjust'
A HAMAS official said the movement has already started campaigning in East Jerusalem.
"This is an internal Palestinian decision and internal Palestinian issue, so we've already started our campaign in East Jerusalem, and if Israeli forces want to stop some means of campaigning, we have alternative means and we can use them in our campaigning," Ziad Dayeh, the campaign manager for Hamas told BBC World TV.
The Israeli ban also drew protests from Palestinian President MAHMOUD ABBAS’ ruling FATAH party, though it is facing strong challenge from HAMAS.
"In order to have a free and fair election, either there is campaigning for all candidates, including HAMAS, or there will be no campaigning," said Hatem Abdel-Qader of Fatah.
Another FATAH candidate in East Jerusalem, Hatim Abdelqadir, described the Israeli conditions as unjust. And independent, Hanan Ashrawi - who had been stopped by Israeli police from campaigning last week - also rejected the Israeli ban, demanding the Israeli government to clarify whether it would carry out its threat to bar Palestinians from voting in East Jerusalem.
Another independent, MUSTAFA BARGHOUTI, said the Israeli decision was a mere public relations exercise.
Israel had earlier warned that it would block voting in East Jerusalem if HAMAS participated in the election, and ABBAS has said he would delay the polls if voting is barred in East Jerusalem.
But Israeli opposition softened late last month with senior officials saying they didn’t want ABBAS to blame them for damaging the Palestinian political process.
Correspondents say that Israeli announcement is a significant one by acting Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, who took power when ARIEL SHARON was hospitalized last week. SHARON had put off the decision on Palestinian campaigning and voting in East Jerusalem.
Israel seized and then annexed east Jerusalem after the 1967 Middle East war, but the international community still considers the area, home to almost 200,000 Palestinians, as occupied territory.
Want more reports?
After a hard day of studying, I find my energy draining away from me.
As I look at the rainy weather at my window, my energy drains ever more and I'm beginning to wonder if my energy is draining away as well.
Man I feel like a liquid that wants to flow out of a pipe at times and I talk like a drunkard.
As I look at the rainy weather at my window, my energy drains ever more and I'm beginning to wonder if my energy is draining away as well.
Man I feel like a liquid that wants to flow out of a pipe at times and I talk like a drunkard.
