Pessimism prevails over peace with Israel

Cairo: Palestinian Fouad Jafer does not think that this week's suicide bombing in Tel Aviv has shattered peace prospects with Israel.

"Peace is a word you do not find in the Israeli dictionary. The attack may give Israel the pretext to intensify its military war against Palestinians," said Jafar, a law student in Cairo.

A young Palestinian killed nine people and wounded dozens on Monday when he blew himself up at a restaurant in Tel Aviv.

"Even before the attack, Israel had started a merciless economic war against the Palestinians to punish them for electing Hamas," Jafar told Gulf News.

Israel reacted fiercely to Hamas's triumph at the ballot box and vowed not to have contacts with the group's government, which took over late last month. The Israeli government, moreover, froze the transfer of funds due to the Palestinian National Authority.

"The United States bears the blame for this Israeli intransigence," said Hamad Nawar, a Palestinian staying in Cairo.

"Acting at Israel's behest, Washington has shunned any dealing with Hamas and suspended aid to the Palestinian Authority. Europe has followed suit too. Their aim is clear: to starve the Palestinians and bring them to their knees. The latest operation [bombing] came just as a reminder to the world that the Palestinians will not bow," added Nawar.

Fawzy Chaker, an Egyptian commerce student, agrees. "Resistance to foreign occupation is a legal right. And the Palestinians have no other option," he said.

Opinions differ on pinning the blame

Palestinians, Kuwaitis and other Arabs staying in Kuwait differ on whom to blame for the suffering of Palestinian people after Hamas formed the Palestinian government and many countries cut aid to the Palestinian National Authority.

"Hamas is an Islamic power. They are sincere and hope to bring benefits to Palestinians. But the problem is that many Arab powers are not backing them," Ebrahim Kassem, a Palestinian teacher in Kuwait, told Gulf News.

"Palestinians had chosen Hamas because they were fed up with the hard life they had been living," said Eyad Hassan, a Palestinian engineer working in Kuwait "But, Hamas has been classified as a terrorist organisation, thus most countries are not supporting it."