HAMAS: ARAB AND MUSLIM WORLD RESPONSIBLE FOR GAZA STRIP DETERIORATION

Guess it's not Israel's fault after all. Not that it will stop human rights groups, academics, and the UN from blaming Israel. But if we're still pretending that the truth matters to somebody somewhere, this should probably get some play:

Both the Saudi Arabian and Egyptian governments have refused a proposed visit by Khaled Mashaal, head of Hamas' political bureau in Damascus, stating that the Hamas takeover of the Gaza Strip must be reversed before they would allow him to enter the countries, Al-Jareeda reported. A Hamas leader, who wished to remain anonymous, told the newspaper that Hamas refused to accept these conditions. He said that under such pressure from the Arab states and other international countries, Mashaal's efforts to improve the situation in Gaza has been made virtually impossible. According to the anonymous Hamas leader, Saudi Arabia and Egypt are also demanding that Hamas accept the government of Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas as the legitimate government in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip.

It's getting tough to be an Iranian proxy in the Middle East these days. Syria tried to get the Arab world to support it last week and failed spectacularly. Now Hamas can't get a hearing in any of the Sunni capitals of the Arab world. Think it has anything to do with the prospect of a Shia bomb? We think it might have something to do with the prospect of a Shia bomb. If you click through, make sure you check out the part of the article where the Saudis accuse Hamas of committing humanitarian crimes against Palestinians in Gaza? Sound familiar? It should.

[Cross-posted to Mere Rhetoric]