HAMAS-FATAH: DEAL OR NO DEAL?

RIVAL PALESTINIAN FACTIONS 
PROCLAIM RECONCILIATION PACT

www.washingtonpost.com - Rival Palestinian factions Fatah and Hamas on Wednesday proclaimed a landmark, Egyptian-mediated reconciliation pact aimed at ending their bitter four-year rift. The declaration was made at a ceremony at the Egyptian intelligence headquarters in Cairo. Western-backed Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas said the accord ended “four black years” that hurt national Palestinian interests. He also said he would “soon” visit Hamas-held Gaza Strip.  The pact provides for the creation of a joint caretaker Palestinian government ahead of national elections next year, but leaves key issues unresolved and makes no mention of peace talks with Israel. Israel has denounced the pact in advance of the Cairo ceremony, because of the militant Hamas’ long history of deadly attacks against Israeli targets. It has equated the deal with a renunciation of peacemaking.

Like the U.S. and the European Union, Israel considers Hamas a terrorist organization and says it will not negotiate with a future Palestinian government that includes the Iranian- and Syrian-backed group. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu condemned a Palestinian unity pact on Wednesday, “What happened today in Cairo is a tremendous blow to peace and a great victory for terrorism,” he said.   Terrorism had been dealt a resounding defeat this week with the killing by U.S. forces of al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden, Netanyahu said.  But he said terrorism recovered on Wednesday because Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas had embraced Hamas, which condemned the U.S. killing of bin Laden and praised bin Laden as a martyr.

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, Fatah leader and the head of the Hamas political bureau, Khaled Meshaal, have made official a reconciliation agreement on Wednesday in Cairo. The Hamas leader, Khaled Mashaal, said his group was prepared to do everything possible “to concrete in actual events the pact,” adding that “our only struggle is against Israel.”  In response to that agreement, Prime Minister of Israel, Benjamin Netanyahu, has described the ceremony of Cairo as “a tremendous blow to peace and a great victory for terrorism.”  Enemies unite to fight a common enemy ... the age of Kali is progressing.

WHAT DO THE VEDIC TEACHINGS TELL US?  

When we forget this philosophy - that Krishna is the supreme father, Krishna is the supreme proprietor, Krishna is the supreme enjoyer, and Krishna is the supreme friend of everyone -  when we forget this, then we come into this material world and struggle for existence, fight with one another. This is material life.  Nor can we get any relief through our politicians, diplomats, philosophers. They have tried so much, but actually nothing they have tried has become fruitful. Take the United Nations. It was organized after the second Great War, and they wanted, “We shall now settle everything peacefully.”  But there is no such thing.  The fighting is going on, between Pakistan and India or between Vietnam and America or this and that. Mundane politics and diplomacy and philosophy - this is not the process.  The process is Krishna consciousness.

Śrīla A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda :
“The Journey of Self-Discovery”
“Superconsciousness” -  Bhaktivedanta VedaBase