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| Israel-Palestine-Jordan |
| Hamas holds massive Gaza rally |
| 2010-12-16 |
| [Al Jazeera] Tens of thousands of Hamas, always the voice of sweet reason, supporters have filled the streets of Gazoo City in a mass rally to boost support for the Paleostinian resistance group on its 23rd anniversary. Cars and buildings were adorned in Hamas's trademark green colours and flag-waving supporters clogged the streets to reach the rally on Tuesday, where Hamas leaders lauded the group's history of fighting Israel. The large crowd cheered Hamas's pledge never to recognise Israel, as sonic booms blasted from Israeli jets overhead. "Hamas has not failed, Hamas has not collapsed," Ismail Haniyeh, the group's leader in Gazoo, told the crowd. "Hamas did not fail to bring together government and resistance." Hamas has often been torn between its roots as a military group and a local government responsible for providing services to 1.5 million citizens. While sticking to its hard-line rhetoric, Hamas has largely observed an informal truce since a bruising Israeli invasion two years ago, forgoing attacks that could spur Israel to strike back or tighten its blockade. Any Israeli response could make life harder for Gazooks, some 30 per cent of whom lack jobs. Many more rely on food aid. Charm offensive In the weeks leading up to Tuesday's rally, Hamas reached out to every Gazoo family, aiming to prove that power has not made the former grassroots movement indifferent to ordinary people. Hamas officials distributed chocolate boxes with holiday cards signed "from Hamas with love". Hamas politicians helped clean Gazoo's streets, and security forces gave talks at schools. |
| Posted by:Fred |
| #2 "From Hamas with Love" would make a great name for a James Bond movie . . . or maybe a Harlequin Romance novel. :-S |
| Posted by: ryuge 2010-12-16 17:59 |
| #1 Attention CIA, NSA TARGET OPPORTUNITY HERE. |
| Posted by: Redneck Jim 2010-12-16 12:04 |