Not So Rare Meeting

This isn't the first time that Hamas and Fatah thugs have met. It is, however, the first time in a while since a meeting between the two terrorist groups didn't end in a hail of gunfire, someone tossed from the roof of a building, or someone ending up in the hospital after being beaten to a bloody pulp.

Fatah and Hamas have been fighting for nearly a year over who will control the Palestinian Authority and things have settled down into a position where Hamas controls Gaza and Fatah claims the West Bank. Fatah still has the support of Israel and the West, which is boggling considering that Fatah thugs are still terrorists who seek to kill Israelis at every opportunity, have no problems switching sides to work with al Qaeda aligned Army of Islam, and generally refuse to fulfill their obligations under Oslo.

Hamas doesn't mince words over how they feel about Israel. They seek its destruction.

However, Hamas may be feeling a cash crunch these days and watching Fatah get money from the West is whetting their appetite for a piece of the action. Either that, or they may be laying in wait to take out Fatah's last stronghold in the West Bank. That's plausible considering that Fatah was thoroughly decimated in the last round of the Palestinian civil war when they got tossed from Gaza. Hamas may be waiting for Fatah to get their hands on money before launching the final blow.

Watch for taqiya in coming days and weeks - especially with Annapolis on the calendar. Hamas may say all the right things to get the money flowing in their direction, but they will not carry out their obligations, least of all a cessation of the rocket and mortar attacks against Israel, nor will they release Gilad Shalit.