An Accounting for Innocent Blood Spilled

"Israel Holds Palestinians Responsible" sayz Yahoo! News:

Israel's U.N. ambassador, Dan Gillerman, warned that the Hamas government's verbal support for the bombing, as well as recent statements by
Iran and Syria, "are clear declarations of war, and I urge each and every one of you to listen carefully and take them at face value." Gillerman said a new "axis of terror" — Iran, Syria and the Hamas government — was sowing the seeds of the first world war of the 21st century.

Israeli Prime Minister-designate Ehud Olmert convened key Cabinet ministers and security chiefs Tuesday to discuss a response. One proposal was to hold the Hamas government directly responsible and declare it an "enemy entity," according to an Israeli official close to the consultations who spoke on condition of anonymity because the ministers had not yet made their decision.

Such a declaration could pave the way for direct strikes against the Palestinian Authority and its officials. Until now, an economic and political boycott had been Israel's main tools against the Hamas government.

"Israel sees the Palestinian Authority as responsible for what happened yesterday," said Gideon Meir, a senior Israeli Foreign Ministry official.

Israeli security chiefs also proposed tightening travel restrictions, including making it harder for Palestinians to move within the West Bank and extending a blanket closure of the West Bank and Gaza. The bomber came from the northern West Bank, and the military planned to step up raids in that area. The army also proposed intensifying targeted killings of Islamic Jihad activists.

In an initial response, Israeli aircraft attacked an empty workshop in Gaza City early Tuesday, causing no injuries. The army said the workshop was used by the Popular Resistance Committees militant group to make rockets for using against Israel.

Monday's bombing was the first since Hamas came to power at the end of March.

Hamas officials have defended the blast as a justified response to Israeli military strikes against the Palestinians. Hamas, which has carried out scores of suicide bombings in Israel since the early 1990s, has largely observed a truce since last year, but refuses to renounce violence and recognize Israel. Hamas officials also have said they would not try to stop or arrest members of other militant groups trying to carry out attacks.

Atef Adwan, a Hamas Cabinet minister, on Tuesday dismissed Israel's claim that the Palestinian Authority is ultimately responsible for the attack. "Israel is trying to find a pretext to act against the Palestinian institutions and act against the Palestinian people," he said.

A confrontation between Israel and Hamas could endanger Hamas' efforts to secure desperately needed international aid and acceptance. Hamas is broke and has been unable to cover the large public payroll, despite aid pledges of $50 million each by Iran and Qatar in recent days.

"Defense or sponsorship of terrorist acts by officials of the Palestinian Cabinet will have the gravest effects on relations between the Palestinian Authority and all states seeking peace in the Middle East," White House press secretary Scott McClellan said.

Hamas continues to flaunt it's lack of seriousness as a governing party. Instead, it reveals it's true role: A proxy for genocide against Israel.

Captain Ed describes the triangle offensive of the Palestinians' terrorist organizations here:

The Palestinian Authority has done nothing to disarm or restrain terrorists in their areas, regardless of who ran the autonomous government. Fatah promised to do so in negotiations but refused to disarm terrorists later. Hamas will not even consider doing so. Instead, they both point to the cease-fire their organizations have supposedly observed while doing nothing about the continuous attacks from Islamic Jihad.

As I have written before, this triangle offense allows the supposedly moderate Fatah and the political Hamas to deny any responsibility for attacks while the radical IJ carries them out. Later, if Hamas falls from power, IJ may claim to honor a cease-fire while Hamas attacks Israel, and so on. This strategy gives at least one and usually two factions deniability that is transparent to everyone except European diplomats, Russian autocrats, and the Middle Eastern kleptocrats that just pledged millions of dollars to keep the Palestinians in business against the Israelis:

Israel now gives a clear indication that the Jewish State will not allow these Blood-lusters to continue their savage campaign unchallenged. Whether the PA sponsered the attacks or not, It remains responsible. PA security forces have done nothing to apprehend terrorists or prevent their incursions into Israel. Hamas' defiant justification of the latest homicide bombing makes it clear that the PA will continue to allow such attacks to occur.

If Hamas truly represents the majority of the Palestinian people, then the world should accept the terrorists-in-charge for who they are: murderers bent on genocide. The nations of the civilized world should act accordingly. If the Palestinians insist on hurling themselves into a suicidal war with Israel, then the world should tell them: "Suffer the consequences."

While we must pray for Peace and work for justice, we can't do so by pretending that murderers-in-command don't rule at the behest of the people that voted for them. Eyes wide open. Until the Palestinians repudiate them, Hamas is their government. Suffer the consequences!