'Drive to kidnap IDF soldiers up since Schalit deal'

[vminfla]

Warning Hamas it will be hit hard in a future conflict, a senior IDF commander said on Wednesday that motivation to kidnap Israeli soldiers has significantly increased since the prisoner swap for Gilad Schalit.

According to Col. Tal Hermoni, commander of the Gaza Division’s Southern Brigade, Hamas, Islamic Jihad and other terrorist groups in the Gaza Strip are working to abduct Israeli soldiers and are digging tunnels that could be used in such an attack.

“We believe that since there are additional Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails that these groups are working to kidnap soldiers,” Hermoni said during a briefing to reporters along the border with Egypt.

There were people working in Gaza “on a daily basis” in the tunnel industry, and Israel was investing significant resources to gather intelligence and locate those tunnels to limit the element of surprise if they were to be used in a future attack, he said. The terrorists who kidnapped tank gunner Schalit in June 2006 infiltrated Israel via a 500-meter-long tunnel they had dug under the Gaza border near the Kerem Shalom crossing.

http://www.jpost.com/Defense/Article.aspx?id=251281

Imagine the things that Hamas could do if they redirected all the energy expended at digging tunnels into something useful, such as building their state?

[jimmie]

1. Pul-eeze

they have stated one and only one goal.

i'm sure no one here supports hamas. lol

[vminfla]

2. ROTFOL

No. no one here buys into Hamas' propaganda.

[Violet_Crumble]

3. Actually, no-one in this group supports Hamas....

Unfortunately some folk tend to get very confused and see any criticism of Israel or support of Palestinian self determination as supporting Hamas....

[oberliner]

4. Maybe we can do a poll of some kind

I know a lot would depend on the wording of the question, but I do think there are varying opinions about Hamas in this group and in DU generally.

[Violet_Crumble]

5. Why? Do you think there's people in this group who support Hamas?

See, that's what 'jimmie' claimed...

on edit: Having been accused of being a supporter of Hamas towards the end at DU2, I see that sort of accusation as nothing but a nasty slur and wish that at DU3 people could do away with the ridiculous accusations that other DUers support extremist groups...

[oberliner]

8. Actually that poster claimed the opposite

The poster wrote that they were sure no one here supports Hamas.

Anyway, I would argue that there are a variety of positions with respect to Hamas.

Some posters here in the past have expressed what I would consider to be "support" for Hamas insomuch as they have argued that Hamas is the legitimate representative of the Palestinian people, that they defended themselves against a planned coup, that they are less corrupt than Fatah, that they ought to be commended for their defense of the Palestinian people against Israeli aggression, etc.

Are not these not views that you have seen on this board over the years?

I mean, one can argue about whether or not those sorts of statements constitute "support" but I do think there are varying opinions about Hamas, some that could be seen as being supportive of the group to some extent.

[Violet_Crumble]

9. Of course. The rolling eyes after it must mean 'I'm not being sarcastic about what I say'...

It's interesting to see how what's considered 'support' gets stretched into the realms of absurdity. I felt absolute revulsion at the killing of Gadaffi, and I'm sure someone somewhere would insist that means I supported Gadaffi. Of course I no more support him, nor anyone in this forum supports Hamas, than those at DU who have argued that the King David hotel bombing wasn't terrorism support the Stern Gang....

I recalled you expressing an opinion on the support of terrorism and terrorists back at DU2. There wasn't anyone you considered to be a supporter of Hamas back then?

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Good thing no one here supports that kind of thing today

Certainly no one on a board like this one would consider terrorism to be an indispensable component of any war of national liberation in this day and age.

Even making an implication of that kind, I believe, is a violation of the rules here.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=124&topic_id=348044&mesg_id=348293

[oberliner]

10. Well I don't want to violate any rules

Although I am not sure we have any such rules established here as yet.

Maybe now that Hamas has said they are opposed to attacks, it might be OK for people here to express support for them.

Perhaps they've changed like the Little Green Footballs people?

[Violet_Crumble]

11. You posted that in April last year, though...

A strong 'no-one here supports' when it comes to anyone supporting the actions of the Stern Gang, which is in stark contrast to what you just said in this thread about what you claim is support of Hamas....

So, let me repeat what I said earlier. The habit of accusing people in this group of being Hamas supporters is imo nothing but a nasty smear...

[King_David]

12. Stern Gang no longer exists,( For many decades now )

Hamas on the other hand is alive and kicking (unfortunatly).

[Violet_Crumble]

13. So what? People can still support groups that no longer exist n/t

[oberliner]

14. One post does not a habit make

And there were different people posting back in April than what we have now.

In theory, any and all possible Hamas supporters would have been rooted out and dealt with by now.

But I don't want to tell people what they can and cannot support.

I don't know if things have been clearly established in DU3 - especially in light of the recent changes Hamas may have undergone.

[Violet_Crumble]

15. You weren't talking about Hamas back then....

You were replying to a post about the Stern Gang and said no-one here supports that kind of thing....

But I don't want to tell people what they can and cannot support.

I've got an even better idea. Wouldn't it be nice if this group was an environment where people stopped trying to tell people what they think other DUers do support and just stick to talking about what they themselves do or don't support?

[oberliner]

16. Right exactly

Was I right or wrong? Who knows.

I think people can make sarcastic comments like "no one here supports Hamas" with an emoticon of some kind after it.

What I don't think is cool would be someone directly accusing another poster of such a thing.

But I don't really think it's that big of a deal either way.

Maybe if you got me on another day I'd feel differently about it.

I am nothing if not inconsistent depending on my mood at the time of posting.

I do generally try to follow the rules and I also think I am pretty polite for the most part with those I disagree with.

Those who aren't, I either ignore or tweak occasionally.

That seems like an OK way to be on a board like this.

[Donald Ian Rankin]

6. An anonymous poll wouldn't reveal anything interesting.

There would be no way of telling genuine supporters of Hamas (I suspect none) from pro-Israeli "black propaganda" (I suspect not much) to idiots passing through the forum and clicking the answer for a lark (I suspect quite a few).

[oberliner]

7. It doesn't have to be anonymous

The regular posters here could respond to the question(s) openly and explain their views.