Hamas bans Arafat Memorial Services

I am not going to really comment on this Ynet News report but would merely point out how radical this act is. The equivalent in Israeli society would be for an Israeli government banning a Yitzhak Rabin memorial service.

While the Palestinian Authority is marking the fourth anniversary of Yasser Arafat's death, Hamas security forces in Gaza on Tuesday have prevented young Fatah supporters from holding spontaneous processions in memory of the late Palestinian Liberation Organization leader.

Eyewitnesses said Hamas forces used force in some cases and removed Fatah flags and posters of Arafat that were suspended from houses in the Strip. Homeowners who refused to remove the banners were taken in for questioning, they said.

The PA has held several memorial services for Arafat in the past few days, and the main ceremony is scheduled to take place near the deceased leader's tomb in Ramallah later in the day. Additional rallies will be held throughout the West Bank. Last year hundreds of thousands of Gazans took part in a rally commemorating Arafat, but this year Hamas declared a high state of alert among its security forces and said it would prevent any attempt by Fatah supporters to mark the occasion.

In other news, Jimmy Carter suggests Arafat fought for ‘just causes’.