Hot temperature in July blanketed the elite district of Rothschild Boulevard in central Tel Aviv, Israel. That caused thousand protesters, mostly young people, are likely to stay outside their tents. They wore minimal clothing.

Among them, there was a young, nice and sexy girl, so-called Anav. All the boys attempted to close in her. They gave her popsicles, they gave her flowers.

“But she was interested only in me,” said a young businessman so-called Shamir. Over the past two weeks, he has abandoned the pubs he used to frequent to a tent on Rothschild Boulevard.

Anav and Shamir participated in a huge demonstration to protest soar prices, included housing price. They spoke for hours until three o’clock at night. Apparently Anah showed up without a tent. Then predictably, Shamir asked her to stay in his tent.

Also, what happen at the tent was predictable. They had making love. “It was hot and fun. Even, it was still crazy hot after it was done,” said Shamir.

He then opened the zipper of the tent to breathe a bit of air. It was surprised, there were 40 people standing around the tent and they applauded enthusiastically. “They had heard everything.”

Meital Azulay who was there with a friend relates that late one night. She saw a young cuple were making love in a silvery tent. That tent with the window open looked jumping and rocking. According to the dance teacher from Tel Aviv, that situation is legitimate when people have removed their bedroom to a tent on the street. “Just like at home,” said the 29-year old female.

A handsome fellow of 30, recognized that he used to have making love with his new girl in his tent. He met her while he went out to have a drink. They stopped in a kiosk and they bought salty snacks, some beer, and a three-pack of condoms, and straight into a tent.

But they realized it was not going to be all that simple because the lawn isn’t leveled, it’s full of stones, and bits of exposed concrete. “It’s very hard on the back, but you find the angles.”

As well as the demonstration continues, the price of condoms perhaps will rise because the emerging of many new couples at Rothschild Boulevard. Therefore, its soar price could be the target of the protest.

Haaretz/Faisal Assegaf

In a hasty move and red face, the commander of the Izzudin al-Qassam Brigade Ahmad al-Ja’bari and his men stormed into the office of Hamas leader in Gaza Ismail Haniyah. He spoke bluntly to Haniyah and insulted him.

He demanded a share of the funds that had been supplied to Hamas by former British MP George Galloway. Galloway has been well known as pro-Palestine activist. He has visited Gaza Strip in a convoy names Viva Palestina.

The former prime minister of Palestine obediently provided a case containing one million dollars to Ja’bari. The commander took US$ 600,000 and returned the rest to Haniyah. “We will use this money to manage our affairs for now, and don’t you forget that our share (shlud be) larger than yours. What you raised from the public is enough for you,” said Ja’bari. He also reminded Haniyah that he owed to Al-Qassam Brigade for the vehicles.

The incident was reported on January 20, 2010 by two Fatah-affiliated websites, alaahd.com and palvoice.com. The report said Haniyah’s deposed government doesn’t really control the Strip. All decisions made by Ja’bari.

It also illustrated that there were conflicts within Hamas. The disagreements also appeared between Hamas leadership in Gaza and Khalid Misya’al, the chief of Hamas’ political bureau in Damascus, Syria. Some reports said that the power struggles has existed for years, since Misya’al challenged Sheikh Ahmad Yassin’s leadership.

The disagreement emerged when Misya’al decided to end cease fire with Israel on the eve of Israeli aggression in December 2008. Mahmud Zahar and Ja’bari warned that decision was a hasty move because preparations for war against Israel had not yet been completed. But Damascus ignored the warnings.

The dispute also raised on the issue of Gilad Shalit, an Israeli soldier was captured by Hamas in June 2006. In March 2010, it was reported that Zahar had been force to withdraw from the negotiations after he agreed to concede on several of Hamas’ demands, while Ja’bari demanded the release of all prisoners on the submitted list.

It also reported that Zahar had made a mistake when he informed the prisoers’ families that their loved ones would soon be released, whereas Israel had announced its refusal to release about 100 of the 450 prisoners on the list.

Another mistake by the negotiators was that they agreed that some of the prisoners would be deported to Gaza or else expelled to another country. Based on those mistakes, Damascus had sent a letter to Zahar warning him not to involve in the negotiations. “You have nothing to do with the prisoner’s portfolio,” said Misya’al.

Fatah Central Committee member Muhammad Dahlan acknowledged about the existence of the difference views in Hamas on the issue of Shalit. “It is Khalid Misya’al who is sabotaging the Shalit deal, despite Zahar’s support for its completion,” he said.

The disagreement also appeared when the Al-Qassam Brigade produced an animated video suggesting that Shalit would end up like Ron Arad, an Israeli pilot was classified as missing in action since 1986. In the clip, Shalit’s father has a dream his son’s coffin wrapped in an Israeli flag.

Hamas spokesman Fauzi Barhum confirmed that the film was a mesaage to the Israeli public that their government is not interested in Shalit’s release. He said Hamas will not compromise on the conditions for his release.

But Zahar openly attack the Brigade’s video, stating that it did not reflect Hamas’ position. “Hamas will never murder captive Israeli soldiers. Our morality and our religion forbid it.”

The Palestinian Legislative Council member from Hamas Saleh Bardawil attempted to temper the dispute. “There is no contradiction between the content of the video and Dr Mahmud Zahar’s statements on the moral values of Hamas in all things,” he said.

According to Fatah Central Committee member Muhammad Shtaya, there was also the disagreement on the process of reconciliation in 2009. “Some of Hamas leaders are interested in reconciliation but its leadership in Damascus suspended to sigh the deal.”

“I am not saying that there is a struggle between ‘outside’ (Damascus) and ‘domestic’ (Gaza), but there are two different views,” said Nabil Shaath, member of the Fatah Central Committee.

MEMRI/Faisal Assegaf

It was more than a half century, Shoshana Lehrer left Indonesia. But, she still remember on the country which thousand kilometers away from her current home in the suburb of Haifa, Israel.

She and her family lived in Indonesia as refugee after fleeing from Nazi in Austria in 1938. “Although we had very hard times, I loved to live there. Indonesia is a beautiful place. I really felt like it is my own country,” said the 77 year-old woman to the Jerusalem Post in December last year.

It’s not only Lehrer felt the atmosphere of Indonesia. There are at least 50 Jews in Israel who had such experience. To share their each memories on Indonesia, the established an association called the Tempo Dulu in 1995. It has the youngest member who is 65 year-old.

According to Lehrer, they gather at least once or twice a year. Besides sharing their own stories, they also cooked Indonesian food, like rendang and nasi rawon. Many members of the Tempo Dulu headed by Lehrer can spell a few words in Bahasa Indonesia.

Lehrer and her colleagues has become historical witnesses and evidence of the existence of the Jewish community in Indonesia. Proffessor Rotem Kowner from the University of Haifa, Israel, explained that the first Jews arrived in Indonesia was a merchant from Fustat, Egypt. “He died in the port of Barus, northern Sumatera in 1290,” he said. Kowner has researched about the history of the Jewish community in Indonesia since 2003.

He even convinced that the Jews has converted to Christian took part in the Portuguese mission which arrived in Indonesia in the early sixteenth century. They settled around the Strait of Malacca, northern coast of Sumatera, dan Java.

The Jews continues expanded as well as the arrival of two Ducth companies the Dutch East India Company (VOC) dan the Dutch West Indian Company (WIC) in 1602. One of them a Dutch soldier born in Ukraine, Leendert Miero (1755-1834) who arrived in 1775. He was the wealthy owner of a large state in Pondok Gede (currently the border area between East Jakarta and Bekasi).

And then Jacob Saphir (1822-1886) traveled for seven weeks on his way to Australia in 1861. The Romanian descent Jews reported there were about a number of Jews who lived in Batavia, Surabaya, and Semarang. But, he noted that there was no the signal of the Jewish communal at that time.

Saphir also noted that at least 20 Jewish households lived in Batavia who were form Netherland and Germany. They comprised wealthy merchants, government officials, and soldiers in the service of the colonial regime. They had no synagogue and no cemetery.

In 1921, a Zionist fundraiser, Israel Cohen, arrived in Java in his five-day visit. He predicted at that time there were around 2,000 Jews who lived in Java only.

The Jewish community began emerge in 1920s with the establishment of Association for Jewish Interests in the Dutch East Indies dan the World Zionist Conferemce (WZC) that had branches in Batavia, Bandung, Malang, Medan, Padang, Semarang, and Yogyakarta. WZC which based in London was founded in 1920. It was a fundraising for the Zionist movement.  A monthly magazine called Erets Israel was issued in Padang from 1926 until its closure by the Japanese in 1942.

The Ducth East Indies administration conducted official census in 1930 that reported the presence of 1.095 Jews. The majority of Jews lived in Java (more than 85 per cent), Sumatera (11 per cent), and several islands (less than 4 per cent). On the eve of the Pacific War (1941-1945), the number of Jews Indonesia reached the biggest number around 3,000 people.

The Jews who lived in Indonesia comprised three groups. The first and the majority was Ducth Jews. Many of them were employed by the colonial administration as clerks, soldiers, teachers, and medical doctors. A second group was of so-called Baghdadi origin which meant they were from Iraq, Yemen, and other parts of the Middle East. Mostly lived in Surabaya and had export and import businesses, shopkeepers, peddlers, and artisans. The third group was refugees from Nazi persecution, largely from Germany, Austria, and Eastern Europe.

The Baghdadi Jews live in religious, some of them fully orthodox. Meanwhile Dutch Jews tend to assimilate although they kept the Jewish traditions. More than a few hide their Jews identity and some men married Christian Europeans or native women.

Economically speaking, the Jews in Indonesia lived in prosperous. They employed native maids, cooks, and chauffeurs. Their per capita income was 4,017 guilders, higher than a native Indonesian was 78 guilders. “We had a sports car,” said Dr Eli Dwek who had lived in Surabaya when he was a kid.

After the independence of Indonesia, the number of Jews decreased. According to a report by the World Jewish Congress was issued a few days after the expulsion of the Ducth, there were approximately 450 Jews in November 1957. Six years later their numbers became 50 and currently only about 20 Jews.

But, at the present, the Jewish community reemerging  by the establishment of a giant menorah in Manado and two synagogues in Manado and Tondano. This group led by Rabbi Yaakov Baruch. “We’re just trying to be good Jews,” he said.

The menorah is also the symbol of Mossad.

Bait Hatfusot/Insode Indonesia/Jerusalem Post/New York Times/Faisal Assegaf

The founder of Facebook, Mark Zuckerberg, headed the list of the world’s top 50 Jews, according to the survey conducted by the Jerusalem Post since last year.

Zuckerberg defeated the Prime Minister of Israel Benjamin Netanyahu who was in the second position. Previously, Zuckerberg was elected as Time’s People of the Year.

His popularity has arisen as well as his Facebook social media. Until the middle of this year, Facebook has 750 million users and expected will reach one billion users by the end of this year.

Two Hollywood actresses, Natalie Portman was at 38th and Sarah Silverman at 49th. Three members of the US Congress, Eric Cantor at 13th, followed by Debbie Wasserman-Schultz (14), and  Gabrielle Giffords (26) who seriously injured in a shooting last January.

Five rabbis also became part of the list – 39 to 43- included Rabbi Richard Jacobs, President of the Union for Reform Judaism. Two eralthy businessmen from South Africa,
Ivan Glasenberg was at 47 and Bertie Lubner (48). Job Cohen, head the Dutch Labor Party (46).

The first female general in the Israeli army Oma Barbivai placed at 44th. The last position belongs to Israeli supermodel Bar Rafaeli. Though she reached more popular when became cover of Sports magazine with swimsuit illustration in 2009.

Jewish Telegraphic Agency/Faisal Assegaf

There are only seven of 120 member of Knesset who are Palestinians, four from the Ta’al Party and the rest from the Balad Party, including Hanin Zoabi. Though from minority group, Zoabi always strongly defense the rights and the interests of Palestinians in Israel.

Therefore, it’s not surprisingly if this unmarried 42 year-old woman has been always taunted and criticized from the ultra-nationalist and religious politicians. The pressure against her came to peak in July last year. The Ethic Committee revoked Zoabi’s three rights as member of Knesset: her diplomatic passport, legal assistance, and was not allowed to visit the countries which have no diplomatic relationship with Israel.

Those sanction caused by her participation in Gaza aid flotilla mission, two months before. In that time, she went on board Mavi Marmara and became a witness against the incursion of Israeli navy commando which killed nine volunteers.

The Committee yesterday expanded the sanction for Zoabi, who was born in Nazareth. Zoabi can’t give her opinions during debates in committee and could not participate in vote until her duty period expires next year.

However, those sanctions didn’t worry her. “I will stay as a member of Knesset,” she said to Faisal Assegaf via her mobile today.

These are the following excerpts:

What is your comment on that decision?
It was a political decision because of my participation in Gaza flotilla last year. Those sanctions came out because the majority member of the Ethic Committee from the right wing groups.
Also, it was a discriminative campaign against us and the Palestinians we are represented.

So, what are you going to do?
I will observe everything and I am going to appeal against the decision. I will also take the step internationally.

Do you have any plan to appeal to the UN Human Rights Council?
I am considering that.

This was not the first time that you have been discriminated. Do you still want to stay as member of Knesset?
I will stay to defense the interests the Palestinians. If I resign, it does mean I allow them to continue their discriminative policies against the Palestinians. This is a challenge to run a democratic system.
I want to prove that Zionism is contrast against democracy. Israel frequently views democracy and equality were a challenge for their security.

When that time comes for you to decide for leaving Israel?
I stay in Israel is not I want to keep my Israeli citizenship. This is my homeland and I will not move from here. The Israelis did immigrate to my homeland. We will continue our struggle against racism in my homeland.

If the UN recognizes the state of Palestine next September, do wish to move out from Israel?
I will never leave my home land. That recognition is only a solution for the Israel’s occupation. It’s not a solution for the repression and discriminations against Palestinians.

From a distance, the ten storey building looks shimmering hit by the sunlight. It’is the first five-star hotel in the Gaza City start opening. It has more than 270 modern rooms, a lagoon-style swimming pool, and an ornate, marble-filled interior.

In the middle of sorrow caused by the Israeli total blockade on the Gaza Strip for the last four years, the existence of the Al-Mashtal Hotel likes a miracle. Also, emerged a shopping center in that city last year, names the Gaza Mall. On the other side, a lot of buildings destroyed caused by the Israeli aggression in December 2008 until January 2009.

Ironically, at the entrance there is an announcement warns visitors that there’s a food and drink minimum for those wishing to sit at the restaurant bar. The lobby is all but deserted. “We’re not exactly open. It’s a trial period,” said Shadi Agha, the hotle’s head of reception.

From the balcony of a top-floor suite, we can see the hotel’s empty swimming pool and onn the other, unsightly piles of garbage. In the basement, workers were finishing an ornate Turkish bath and sauna. The hotel has no driver for the operational cars.

Though, on the patio, uniformed waiters busily serve milkshake orders. A group of women in fashionably tight jeans and high heel shoes smoke shisha, that such activity forbidden for women in public.

A bar in the hotel has expensive bottles of martini. Whereas, Hamas has restricted alcohol drinks in Gaza.

The development of Al-Mashtal is likely reflects the historical journey of the Gaza Strip. Startedd in 1996 but halted for years later after emerging of the second intifada. The project had restarted but stopped for the second time after Hamas victory in the 2006 election.

Actuallty, Al-Mashtal named as Marriott but in 2004 was part of Switzerland hotel chain, Movenpick. Recently, it becomes part of ArcMed network from Spain.

Agha insisted they provide everything needed for a five star hotel. Al-Mashtal coursely has everything except the guests.

Slate/Faisal Assegaf

Perhaps, a servant in a restaurant near the lobby of the Sultan Hotel accidentally showed the list of alcohol drinks, include wine, to the leader of Hamas in Libanon, Usamah Hamdan. He insisted to refuse them. “I couldn’t drink this because I am a muslim,” said the thick beard man.

Then, the servant opened a new page of the menu booklet that consists of the list of juices. Hamdan who headed Hamas representative in Libanon since 1999 requested orange juice because the pineapple was not available.

Hamas has been well known as a group that imposed Islamic sharia strictly. During their four years domination in the Gaza Strip, they implemented some rules, like man and woman without family or marriage relationship can’t be together in the public, girl students obliged to wear Islamic dress code, and men are forbidden to wear over-knee pants at the beach.

It is the first time Hamdan visit Jakarta. He attended a two-day conference of the Asia-Pacific community for Palestine. Speaking to Faisal Assegaf who met him in that restaurant today, he highlighted the weakness of the United Nations because can’t pressure Israel to implement all the UN resolutions.

That comment should becomes insinuation and blow against 52 muslim majority countries that also member of the UN. “The weakness of the UN is not able to pressure Israel to implement all the resolutions,” Hamdan says. He also explained about the ongoing process of the reconciliation between Hamas and Fatah, negotiation on Gilad Shalit, and the future of Palestinians destiny. Excerpts:

The negotiation on the unity government was inhibited by the issue of the nomination of the prime minister. In you opinion, it can break down the reconciliation process?
When we signed the reconciliation agreement that was a strategic decision, no one thinks that the deal supposed to break down. What has happened in the last four years was thwarted because of the pressure from the United States and Israel mostly. Now, we still have faces their pressure.
I know when we talk about the unity after four years of division it’s not easy to go all the things at one moment. So, we have to do our best, solve all the problems. One of the important problems is the nomination of the prime minister. We prefer in Hamas to discuss the ability of the prime minister and then we can find a suitable name for this. If we do that, I think we will have dozens of names who can be prime minister, from independent or technocrat. In the last meeting, Hamas is not accepted the nomination of Salam Fayyad.
Though, the discussion on the other issues is still going on because the US is trying to undermine, at least to slow down the reconciliation while the Israeli try to break that unity process.
We have some good names, like Muhammad Mustafa (also nominated by Fatah), Jamal al-Khudari, Mustafa Barghuti, Mazin Sonoqrot, and Munib al-Mashri. We believe they are capable for the job and they believe in the Palestinian unity.

Abbas is trying to get the UN recognition on the state of Palestine. Do you think how important that recognition for the Palestinians?
I believe that we have more than enough of the international resolutions (around 100). The problem is not on those resolutions itself, but will of the international community to force Israeli to accept those resolutions. But Israel rejected them all. Even one of them was supported by the US and some important international players.
The weakness of the UN is not force Israel to do that. I doubt the plan will succeed because as far as we know there is kind of compromise between Abu Mazin and the Americans. If he drops the request, they may make a kind of arrangement to restart the negotiation.

Do you still believe the Islamic countries seriously support the Palestinians?
I still believe that the support for the Palestinian people from the Islamic countries is important. It doesn’t mean they have to send their troops while there was a possibility that’s good.
There are three ways for the Islamic countries to support the Palestinians, through political support, funding, and defending the Palestinian rights. The Islamic countries can use those methods to assist the struggle of Palestinians to liberate their lands, by the God’s permission.

Have you imagined that the international community will ignore the issue of Palestine because there is a world common problem, like the global climate change?
I convince that the problem is the Israeli occupation. If the international community is exhausted to address that issue, they must start to end the occupation. The problem is not on the Palestinian side, but from the Israeli. There will never be security and stability in the region as well as in the world if Israel doesn’t stop to occupy the Palestinians because Israel will continue to dictate the Arab and Islamic countries. Israel is the source of problem for part of the world.

Did Hamas principally accept the proposal from the US President Barack Hussein Obama about the two state solutions with pre-1967 border?
Until this time there was no that such proposal. I believe that all the efforts from Obama to restart the negotiation will fail. I also convince that all negotiations will not bring back the Palestinian rights. The Obama administration has lost their faith on Israel their own political system.

Will you agree if the Islamic countries pull out from the UN membership as a support on the Palestinians?
I hope that kind of action will not happen. The more important is the Islamic countries pressure the UN to force Israel ending their occupation against the Palestinians. Or they can endorse a resolution that obliges the UN for sending troops to expel the Israeli forces from all the Palestinian lands.

Is it confirmed that Israel accepted the proposal to release 1,000 Palestinian prisoners exchange for Gilad Shalit?
It happened three years ago and the rejected again. We want 450 until 1,000 prisoners to be released. Until now, Israel has not accepted that proposal. All women and children must also be released but Israel refused that too. So, there is no something new. We want the release of 1,000 prisoners, 450 by names and 550 by specifications. Also, all women and children must be freed. If the Israeli do that, Shalit can go free tomorrow. If not, Shalit will stay as prisoner of war.

Why did Hamas reject to give evidences that Shalit is still alive?
We must not give all the answers needed and asked by Israel because our prisoners are still suffering in the Israeli prisons. If they wanr more informations about Shalit, they have to consider our demands.

So, does Shalit still alive?
No one knows.

The hardline position of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has likely descended to his eldest son, Yair Netanyahu. Haaretz daily newspaper reported yesterday the 19 year-old boy wrote in his Facebook page that Islam is a terror religion.

The cynical comment against the religion embraced by more than one billion people wrote after five Jewish settlers in the West Bank had been stabbed until dead by a Palestinian man. “Terror has a religion and it is Islam,” said Yair who currently under military service.

Earlier this year, he also wrote that Muslim had celebrated hated and death. Obviously, those accusations sparked protests among Palestinians. The incident emerged during uncertainly prospect of the negotiation between Palestine and Israel.

Yair also wrote his hope for there will be no a Palestinian state. His Facebook account made two years ago and has 23 followers. His group called boycott agains Arab business and Arab products.

Haaretz said all comments against Islam and Arab committed within two hours. The policy had been taken while Haaretz try to ask confirmation from prime minister’s aides. But there is no one responses.

The attorney of Netanyahu family, David Shimron, insisted that Netanyahu and his wife Sara believed in moderation and tolerance. “They respect all people without regard their religion, origin, and nationality. That’s the way they raised their children,” said Shimron in his statement.

Yair has committed military service since last year. But he didn’t follow the path of his father and his uncle Yoni Netanyahu. Yair refused to join a combat unit and chosen to be posted in Army Radio.

Israel has obliged boy and girl at least 18 year-old to conduct military service. The period of the service is three years for boy and two years for girl.

Haaretz/Faisal Assegaf

Nobody knows that kind of activities inside that building. Drivers passing the Tel Aviv-Rishon Litsion highway only can glimpse briefly toward a mammoth on a hurst. They are allowed to turn up a road to that building.

The building was fenced by cement wall equipped with super tight security system. Off course normally because that was the location of Israel’s Institute of Biological research (IIBR). It’s located about 20 kilometers south of Tel Aviv. The institute is the top secret military installation in the Zionist state. By the military stiffed-censor, press could not seek any information about it.

But currently the secret has been kept for almost six decades a little bit leaked publicly. It happened in last May while a long time employee at IIBR, Avisha Klein, sued his office for harassment and emotional abuse. He is a senior staff and experienced in various positions He had joined a team which develop ointment to protect skin from the mustard gas.

IIBR was built in 1952 by Professor Ernst David Bergman, science adviser of Prime Minister David Ben-Gurion, and Dr Alexander Keynan. The institute established based on the order of David Ben-Gurion.

Because of it’s top secret status, all information belong to IIBR should be get permission first from Ben-Gurion before provide to Israeli top officials. Even, the scientists who worked for IIBR had apologized to Prime Minister Moshe Sharett when he visited there in 1954, because they could not explain about on going programs.

IIBR has about 350 employees, include 150 scientists that world in one or more departments. Each of department has specialization in chemical or biological research that generally intend to produce chemical and biological weaponry. As a strategic institution, IIBR has also worked with Mossad, Shin Beth, and Aman (military intelligence agency).

A number of reports said IIBR has produced which used in assassination effort against the leader of Hamas Political Bureau Khalid Misya’al in Amman in 1997. It’s mission conducted by Kidon, a notorius unit in Mossad, They failed aand Misya’al still alive after receiving antidote as an exchange for the release of two Mossad agents.

Haaretz dailyhas reported that poison made by IIBR used by Mossad for the first time to kill the leader of PFLP (Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine) Wadi Haddad in 1977. He was accused responsible for the hijacking of an Israeli airplane route Entebbe, Uganda, in 1976.

According to a book written by Israeli journalist, Aharon Klein, Mossad inserted that poison to his fondness Belgium chocolates. An Iraqi official who worked for Mossad brought the poisonous chocolates to Haddad who lived exile in Baghdad. Because of its slow effect, the poison in Haddad’s body couldn’t be detected.

His conditions slowly deteriorated. A year later, he died. A medical team of a hospital in East Germany who treated him found that he suffered leukaemia.

IIBR has also a department which develops anti-biological weapon vaccines, include anthrax vaccine. “The Institute has received million of dollars (from the United States of America) to produce anthrax vaccine,” Haaretz said in their Ibrani language site. The grant provided following attacks from home-grown terrorist by using anthrax virus.

Ironically, it’s not only rabbits, pigs, monkeys or other animals which become experiment for the effectiveness of anthrax vaccine. Israeli suited soldiers also tested for the vaccine.

Like doing scout, we couldn’t collect detailed information about IIBR. Though, it’s enough to call Israel as a big threat to security and peace in the world.

Haaretz/Faisal Assegaf

This June is the fourth year of the Israel’s total blockade against the Gaza Strip occupied by Hamas. Actually, the isolation was imposed since the hard-liner group won the election on January 25, 2006.

Though live in desperate conditions and insecure, the founder and the leader of Hamas in the Gaza Strip insisted that armed resistance is the best way to expel the occupier Israel from the land of Palestine. Not by negotiation such as committed by their contender Fatah, led by the President of the Palestinian Authority Mahmud Rida Abbas.

Speaking to Faisal Assegaf through his mobile today, Zahar also explained about the ongoing discussion on the national unity government and effort to reach the recognition from the United Nations against the state of Palestine. Excerpts:

How is the progress of the discussion on the national unity government?
There is no development until this time because Abu Mazin (Mahmud Abbas) didn’t want to accept our proposals, included who should be head the unity government.

Why did Hamas refuse to support Salam Fayyad?
We can’t accept Abu Mazin’s idea that Salam Fayyad is the only suited candidate. We think he is just puplet for the United States of America and Israel.

Therefore, who is the candidate proposed by Hamas?
We won’t discuss about the name in media. Our agreement with Fatah is the national unity government. So, whoever become the next head of the unity government, technocrat, independent, or any faction is not problem for us if he is commitment to work for the interest of the people of Palestine.

Do you agree on Abu Mazin’s effort to get the UN recognition against the state of Palestine?
It’s just political jump and has no meaning for the Palestinians. It’s only political strategy based on the interest of Fatah. How could we get our land while at the same time Israel continue to expand the Jewish settlement.

It means you believe that effort will not succeed?
Yes, I don’t believe.

Until this time, do you still convince that armed resistance is the best way against Israel?
It has been our position for a long time. We are still talking about armed resistance rather than negotiation to obliterate Israel.