Hamas ban 400 Fatah delegates from traveling to Bethlehem

So much for freedom among Muslim brothers. Now Gaza has become occupied land for Fatah members who wants freedom to take part in a convention in Bethlehem.

These guys from Hamas took over this Fatah office in Gaza in 2007. Now Hamas refuses to give exit-Visas for their Muslim brothers in Fatah.
These guys from Hamas took over this Fatah PA-office in Gaza in 2007. Now Hamas refuses to give exit-Visas to their Muslim brothers in Fatah.

About 400 Fatah delegates in Gaza are being blocked by the ruling Hamas leadership from traveling to Bethlehem for the first official meeting of the 2,000-plus member Fatah Governing body. Last time there was such a convention was before the late PLO chief signed the Oslo Accords, a decision that was met with wide contention within Fatah ranks.

Source: ICEJ.com

My comment:

Normally Hamas accuses Israel for still occupying Gaza, even though Egypt also has closed its border to Gaza. That makes it one of the most funny occupations in World history.

Thats why its more than interesting to see that this time it is Al Fatah, who are accusing Hamas of being the occupation authority in Gaza. By not let their Muslim brothers not leave the Gaza strip, the United Nation supported Hams government act just like the Soviet Union under the rule of Joseph Stalin. No-one was allow to leave the Communist totalitarian regime.

This is the last twist and turn in the Arab Palestinian civil war between Muslim brothers.

When I see this in-fighting between Arab brothers, I am reminded about what God told Hagar about her son Ishmael.

Genesis 16:12

«He will be a wild donkey of a man; his hand will be against everyone and everyone’s hand against him, and he will live in hostility toward all his brothers».

Now, when we see this happening just in front of our eyes, we can only rejoice in the faithfulness of God of the Bible. His Words are the truth.

Norwegian Word of Faith Pastor pleads for forgiveness

«I did not want to live anymore. I thank Jesus for being alive. I was overworked, and took many wrong decisions».

    Enevald Flåten says he has learned about many errors in the Word of Faith Movement
Enevald Flåten says he has learned about many errors in the Word of Faith Movement

This is a statement from head pastor Enevald Flåten, who once lead the biggest Word of Faith fellowship in Norway with more than 2000 faithful members. After internal Church turbulence in 2006, He was forced to resign. Today the Church in the city of Bergen has changed both name and focus.

«I have always been a hard working man, but had to many responsibilities. I did not acknowledge that I was exhausted. I became irritable, and took many wrong decisions», explains Flåten to the Norwegian Christian Daily «DagenMagazinet».

When Flåten went on sick leave, his doctor advised him to stay out of media focus. The former Pastor regret ignoring this advice:
«I did and said a lot of stupid things during those days, explains Flåten».

Flåten feels the need to request people to forgive him. He explains that the process has opened his eyes for both theological teaching, leadership models and other sides with the Word of Faith Movement that is not healthy.

« I ask everybody who have been wounded and have difficulties to forgive me. In many Charismatic Fellowships and Churches there is to much focus on Church activities and personal status than human relations. I still believe that God gives pastors certain visions. But you can not expect the congregation to always follow you blindly. Even a Pastor is only a human», says Flåten.

Source: Norwegian Christian Daily «DagenMagazinet».

My comment:

I have to admit that I was one of the critics of Enevald Flåten. Please forgive me for any wrong doings. My concern for him and the Church in Bergen was not based on first hand experiences. I have never met Flåten, or visited the Church he was pastoring. But I have been 18 months as a part of a Word of Faith Congregation. I was branded as «not really born again» when i started to object the Word of Faith one leader models of pastoring. I also had and still have many reservations against their prosperity teachings.

From today onwards I will only speak about Enevald Flåten in positive terms. I have just read about a new born creation, a humble man, who came to know the truth. I thank my Master Jesus for listening to all the people who have been praying for Flåten. Praise be to the Messiah.

Gets 200 million USD from Clinton. Blames budget deficit on Israel

The PA Prime Minister Salam Fayyad said the budget shortfall is caused by Israeli restrictions on the Palestinian economy, and the failure of some donors to make good on their pledges.

The US hand that feads the tief. Hillary Clinton and Salam Fayjad
The US hand that feeds the thief. Hillary Clinton and Salam Fayyad

The United States has transferred 200 million USD to the Arab Palestinians to help ease their government’s growing budget crisis. The transfer is only part of a 900 million USD package Clinton pledged to the Palestinians at a donors conference in March.

Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton announced the aid with the Palestinian prime minister, Salam Fayyad, on Friday. The Palestinian Authority’s budget deficit is growing, and it has borrowed hundreds of millions of dollars from commercial banks to cover the government payroll.

Source: Associated Press (AP) and the magazine Israel Today

My comment:

The budget deficit has nothing to do with Israel. But rather outright theft or misappropriation of funds. There is also faulty administration and a bloated public payroll. One of the chief consumers of funds in the chronically deficit-ridden Arab Palestinian budget is the «police force» that exceeds two per cent of the population. This is size far above the limits imposed by the Oslo agreements, a force that is armed with weapons that are illegal under those agreements.

There are many documented reports of rampant corruption and misuse of funds within the Palestinian Authority and its related governmental bodies. For example, in 1997, the PA received 548 million USD from the international donor community. It also received more than 800 million USD in tax revenues collected by Israel from Palestinian Arabs. At the end of 1997 the PA released its annual financial report. 323 million USD, nearly 40 per cent of the annual budget was «missing».

An investigation by Newsweek in 2000, on the brink of the Camp David talks, revealed abuses at almost every level of the Arab Palestinian Authority.

«Arafat runs a mafia state»

Arafat«Many top ministers staff their offices with cronies, dole out valuable contracts without oversight and create their own monopolies, which crush competition and drive up prices paid by hard-pressed consumers. The courts are powerless because Arafat simply ignores any inconvenient rulings. His 14 separate police forces enforce the whims of PA officials rather than laws aimed at protecting ordinary Palestinians. «It’s a mafia state», says Abdul Jawad Saleh, a former Agriculture minister who was beaten by security forces recently for leading an anticorruption protest».

Source: Newsweek, the year 2000.

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