The Enemy of My Enemy

The Enemy of My Enemy Is My Friend
Arab Proverb

That may be a popular saying, but it's no way for a country to run it's foreign policy.
But that won't stop Israel., which seems convinced that Abbas is the enemy of Hamas and therefore a friend of Israel--a 'moderate' to be supported.

Israel prepares to allow Palestinian troops into Gaza

Israel is on the brink of a policy U-turn that would authorise 1,500 armed Palestinian soldiers based in Jordan to move into the West Bank and Gaza Strip.

While Israel sees the move as a way to counterbalance the growing power of Hamas, such a policy shift could worsen the internecine violence between rival Palestinian factions which has claimed scores of lives this year.

It reverses years of strict military sanctions imposed by Israel on the territories because of fears that weapons provided to Palestinians would end up being used for attacks on Israeli targets.

The United States, which is behind the initiative, hopes that the arrival of the troops, trained and equipped to relatively high standards by the Jordanian armed forces, will restore badly-needed order in the occupied territories.

So despite the real danger that extra arms--and soldiers--provided to Fatah may be used against Israel, the Israeli government is responding favorably to the US 'initiative'.

There may be truth to the adage that 'the enemy of my enemy is my friend' but that does not apply when both of them are Israel's mortal enemy as well.

As Fatah's website helpfully reminds us, according to their constitution, one of Fatah's main goals--and the first one mentioned--is:

Article (12) Complete liberation of Palestine, and eradication of Zionist economic, political, military and cultural existence.

Israeldoes not have the luxury of picking its enemies, but she should be more careful picking her friends.

Technorati Tag: Israel and Fatah and Fateh and Hamas and US.