ARAB COUNTRIES WARNED BY THE US OF THE 'CONSEQUENCES OF DEMOCRACY' IN THE MIDDLE EAST
Israel intends to cut funding to the democratically elected Palestinian government, has refused to reject the option of cutting water and electricity to the Palestinian poeople and plans to introduce crippling restrictions on the free movement of Palestinians between the West Bank and Gaza.
The US Secretary of State, Condileeza Rice, said the US has also decided to cut funding and has given her support to Israel, while warning Arab governments of consequences should they step in to fill the massive economic void that will result in Palestine.
The Jerusalem Post claims Rice will visit the Middle East and announce that with Hamas in power in Palestine, funding the Palestine Authority might be seen as "breaking the US-led global war against funding terror, which was designed originally to stop the funding of al-Qaida."
Rice also warned Iran not to move onto "a collision course with the international community" on the issue of funding the new Palestinian government.
First attempts by the US to fragment international diplomatic ties with Hamas failed spectacularly when Arab states, along with Turkey and Russia, invited Hamas leaders to fresh talks. China has also announced it will pursue a diplomatic relationship with Palestine.
Rice is about to visit the Middle East on a five day tour, during which she will lay down the law on how Arab states become involved with the Hamas led government, including funding the poverty stricken Palestinian population.The Jerusalem Post claims this is a sign of a united international front against Hamas, yet such a front does not include China, Russia, Iran, Turkey, Pakistan, India or the majority of the Arab States.
An Israeli official told the Jerusalem Post, "that at this point Israel would not cut off water and electricity to Gaza," though that remained an option for Israel if they were not happy with the progress of Hamas in recognising Israel as legitimate, renouncing terror and disarming.
Israel has officially rejected a Hamas offer of a truce, declaring the democratically elected government of Palestine a "terrorist entity".
The Israeli cabinet will now decide when they will begin treating Palestine as a hostile enemy.
