That’s For Us to Know and You to Find Out
Last August, Abdel Aziz Rantisi went on record:
“We love martyrdom and we seek martyrdom,” Rantissi said. “Our leaders and followers will continue to fight until we achieve martyrdom.”
OK, so he got his fondest wish. Why is the Arab Street so upset? (Relatively speaking?)
And if they love martyrdom so much, how come the identity of the new leader of Hamas’ “military wing” is being kept secret?
GAZA (Reuters) - Pledging 100 retaliations, Hamas appointed a secret leader on Sunday to replace Abdel-Aziz al-Rantissi, whose assassination by Israel dealt a blow to the militant group ahead of a planned U.S.-backed pullout from Gaza.
Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon praised the army for Saturday’s helicopter strike and pledged that the Jewish state would continue to “fight terror.”
Rantissi, a 56-year-old firebrand, was the second Hamas leader to be assassinated by Israel in less than a month. Sheikh Ahmed Yassin died in a missile attack on March 22.
Faced with an Israeli threat to wipe out all Hamas leaders, the movement said it would keep the identity of Rantissi’s successor secret. Palestinian sources speculated the new leader was either Mahmoud al-Zahar or Ismail Haniyah.