The GDP in the Gaza Strip has increased more than 30% compared to last year, unemployment rate is lo

[pelsar]

Congrats to hamas..

The GDP in the Gaza Strip has increased more than 30% compared to last year, unemployment rate is lowest recorded in past 10 years.

http://www.imra.org.il/story.php3?id=54733

2. The export of agricultural goods from the Gaza Strip began on 
November 27, 2011.
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and congrats to the gazans on their latest 5 start hotel

Gaza gets new luxury hotel
http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4096055,00.html
Hamas prime minister Ismail Haniyeh admits that things are going well.
 
"We have emerged from the siege stage and are now at the development and construction stage," he said. "We have no problem obtaining cement, iron and other construction materials. The storehouses in Gaza are full – we received everything through the tunnels."
 

Indeed, this summer marks the start of a new fashion in Gaza: Renting out rooms on the beach. Such a room will cost a family about NIS 1,400 (about $405) a day, and the demand is high.
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and fun fact for those who believe that Juan Cole is a credible voice:
it appears that Juan Cole is either very misinformed about gaza or that he is internally misleading the "useful idiotes" as the claims on his website are simply wrong
http://www.juancole.com/2011/11/israels-strangulation-of-gaza-by-the-numbers.html

a few examples of blaming israel for:
Gaza that are food insecure: 61% (hamas disagrees-they import everything they need)

Exports from Gaza to the rest of the world allowed by Israel: 0

Gisha disagrees
http://www.gisha.org/graph.asp?lang_id=en&p_id=903
_________

the point is that the facist, theocratic dictatorship of hamas has decided to take things into their own hands improve the lives of the gazans as well as increasing shari law upon its inhabitants (there are not intl pressures for hamas to give up their beliefs). As per the PMs claim, there are no shortages in gaza of anything, so at least now we all know that any shortages are a matter of hamas own inability to distribute the goods and nothing to do with israel....that is what the PM of Gaza said, and i would guess that he would know better than anyone else.....

furthermore, from their brand new hotel (israeli channel 2 was there) gives a wonderful view of a hamas training camp, the sea, and the refugee camps.

[vminfla]

1. Juan Cole never let a good fact get in the way of a bad meme

better to repeat the myth than admit the facts

[King_David]

2. kick nt

[King_David]

3. kick

[pelsar]

4. the advantage of hamas......

one of the few advantages of groups like hamas, who don't believe in the whole western value system, is that they have no intention of keeping up with the "victims" status the arafat and abbas loved to use. Being religious as hamas is, they also do not believe in being vulnerable to the whims of the west, the UN and any other western agency (see heretics) to interfere with their god given right to govern, hence the need for independence from them. (this doesn't mean they won't take advantage of them, and laugh at their feeble attempts to "influence them."), and we see the results....

It safe to assume that like the jews of 48, they been scouring the world for funds, equipment and ways to increase their independence from the west......of course the downside of all of this, is that while abbas can't pay his salaries, hamas can....and they strengthen their grip on gaza.

(so much for theory of the "moderating influence of governing-whereas that theory may have some credibility with the secular dictator, it doesn't when the governing body is theocratic)

[shaayecanaan]

5. There are plenty of pressures on Hamas all round...

first of all, their Syrian patron has embarked upon the biggest non-American slaughter of Sunni Muslims seen in a generation, which is particularly troublesome when the Syrian government is dominated by Alawites, who are not only Shia, but Shia heretics - imagine a Mormon fundamentalist from the POV of a Roman Catholic and you get the idea.

Added to that is the fact that closer to home, the old guard in Egypt is gone and in its place are a bunch of fellows that you might just be able to do business with. Unfortunately, your main source of funds (Iran) has told you that you won't get a dime if you pull your headquarters out of Syria. And the Egyptians' main patron (the US) will likely do the same if they so much as look at you.

Its a terrible dilemma for Hamas. On the one hand, if the regime does fall its going to be mighty embarrassing for a Sunni Muslim militia to have stood by the regime till the end, particularly when the rebels are largely cut from the same cloth as yourself, and when just about everyone from Jordan to the new Libyan government is lining up against Assad.

On Egypt's side, of course, they would probably like to bring Hamas into the fold, but know that if they do so they risk the wrath of their own American patron. The military has let it be known they will oppose anything that jeopardises their relationship with the US.

Right now things are at a tipping point, but if Assad does fall you can expect things to fall over the edge.

[pelsar]

6. and the "arab spring" illusion continues...

weren't there a couple zillion voices that claimed once hamas has to govern that they will moderate, because of governing pressures.

and then came the world wide pressure that would not give them funds......

all of which have clearly failed (wow what a surprise)

how many more theories have to be bankrupt before it sinks in?....fanatics, do not change their beliefs because of economics...and hamas are believers, just as they have their counterparts in iran in saudi arabia and with the taliban.

would you give up your beliefs for money? a bigger house?-didnt think so.
__

as far as your theories....whats the dilemma? they get to play off hizballa with iran, not to mention there is always al quid, the Bedouin in the negev doing the smuggling, funds from the western left, they've got new options with Lybia (oil rich), tunisia, turkey might be able to be played...hell they have an open field.

Assad? hes a bit player in the region, if he falls the rippling effect will be exactly zero. Jordan might get worried and might have to call up the IDF again to save their ass, but that would be about it.