Yassin to return by end of week

The return of Hamas spiritual leader Sheikh Ahmed Yassin is less dangerous for Israel than forcing him to spend the rest of his life in exile, Israeli security officers concluded, thus making it easy for the Sheikh to return to Gaza, perhaps on Saturday.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told the Knesset Defense and Foreign Affairs Committee on Monday that all security and military officers he spoke to have confirmed that the damage Sheikh Yassin's return would cause is less than if he were to remain abroad.

During the committee discussions, Netanyahu defended the decision to release Yassin from an Israeli prison following the failed attempt on the life of Hamas political bureau chief in Jordan, Khaled Mishal last year. "Sheikh Yassin was freed in the context of a big problem which we had trying to maintain the stability of our relations with Jordan," Netanyahu told the committee. He said that various security officials warned at the time about the implications of Sheikh Yassin dying in prison, thus causing, in Netanyahu's words, "a very dangerous development."

As he tried to reason the release of Sheikh Yassin from prison and the decision to allow his return to Gaza, Netanyahu came under fire from Labor opposition party leader Ehud Barak. Barak described the spiritual leader of Hamas as a "ticking time bomb at Arafat's doorstep." He claimed that the gravest element about the Yassin issue is the fact that "he was released to begin with, along with the fact that he was freed without having promised in a declaration to refrain from dealing with terror.

President Weizman said that Sheikh Yassin should be allowed to return to Gaza, and run his affairs there. "I would let him return to the Gaza Strip, to stop him from roaming freely around the world. It is better for him to return to Gaza, and for Arafat to decide how he's going to control him."

Family relatives of the Sheikh said he would return to the Gaza Strip via Egypt. Hamas officials warned that should Israel prevent his return; there would be more violence. "Israel should remember that several soldiers were kidnapped in order to get the Sheikh freed from prison, and that there were several attacks," Hamas spokesman in Gaza Dr. Mahmoud Zahhar was quoted as saying recently. After two weeks of discussions about the subject, all Israeli security officials have recommended that Yassin return to Gaza, fearing a ban against his return would provoke a wave of attacks on Israeli targets, including suicide bombings. Military officials argued that it would be of the Palestinian government duty to take a number of steps, in order to restrain Hamas' increased strength, in light of Sheikh Yassin's return.

Founder of Hamas in the late 80s, Sheikh Yassin left Gaza in February to receive medical treatment in Saudi Arabia. Following his stay there, the 64 year-old Hamas leader continued on his trip, visiting Islamic states in the region to raise money. Palestinian sources relayed that he has managed to raise dozens of millions of dollars-- this money is slated to support Hamas activity. There has not been any accurate figure as to how much the Sheikh managed to raise but Palestinian sources put the amount at close to US $300 million. Other estimates spoke of no more than US $50 million.

Sheikh Yassin himself also confirmed he would return on Saturday. He told a Hebrew daily on Tuesday that by the end of this week, he would finish his tour in the Arab world and return home. "I am not afraid to return, and am not worried," he told a reporter for Yediot Ahoronot. He said that due to his shaky health situation he decided to complete his journey, after it was extended for three months, longer than the original plan. Sheikh Yassin said he would finish his visit to Sudan in two days, return to Cairo to undergo further medical treatment and then cross back to Gaza.

Palestinian official sources played down the significance of Sheikh Yassin's return and said it should not necessarily pose a security threat to the Palestinian government. Hamas, one source said, is aware of the fact that it is not possible to fight the Palestinian government by means of guns but through a democratic process. "That is why we think Sheikh Yassin will invest the money he raised in his tour in building up social and welfare foundations and institutions for his movement while some of this money might go to military purchases for Izziddin Al Qassam brigades," said the source. "Hamas might be acting in two parallel venues in the near future: on one hand, it will fight the PNA by means of social and health services to Hamas supporters and on the other will trigger bombs against Israel."

But the movement's credibility is not very high among Palestinians at all. Certainly not after the 50th anniversary of the Palestinian catastrophe, Nakba, was marked last month. Hamas was the only political group that boycotted all the events marking the anniversary and her absence had brought her under fire from ordinary Palestinians as well as from Palestinian officials. Many have said at the time that a movement that claims to be fighting the Israeli occupation and yet ignores the anniversary of the worst and darkest day in Palestinian history cannot be trustworthy at all.