Image credit: Anadolu Agency
MINSK, 22 December (BelTA) – The latest episode of the documentary series Time Chose Us aired by the TV channel Belarus One covered the rise of the Hamas organization to power in Palestine, BelTA has learned.
On 25 February 2006 for the first time in a decade, elections were held in the Palestinian Authority. About 1.5 million Palestinians took part in the voting to elect 130 lawmakers to the legislative council. Eleven political parties fought for the seats. The main struggle unfolded between the ruling party Fatah and the Hamas organization. The latter won.
“The very logic of the historical process prompted such a development. For many decades the United Nations resolution providing for the establishment of an independent State of Palestine had been ignored. This process was torpedoed in every possible way,” noted Aleksandr Shpakovsky, a member of the House of Representatives of the National Assembly of Belarus. “Relations between Jews and Arabs had been deteriorating. The mood of the Palestinian people got radicalized. Naturally, the crest of this wave brought fourth politicians, who started proposing so-called direct action methods”.
Hamas leaders were in the process of forming a national government. They had 74 mandates while Fatah had 45. Without waiting for the final results the government resigned. Hamas supporters in the city of Ramallah expelled the outgoing lawmakers from the parliament and hoisted a green Islamist flag over the building. Ismail Haniyeh took over as the prime minister.
Khaled Mashal, the head of Hamas’ political wing, visited Moscow shortly after the election. It was his first trip to non-Muslim countries.
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