# Hamas Founder Killed - What Now? **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [March 22, 2004, 8:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hamas-founder-killed-what-now/235705 "2004-03-22T08:55:08Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Necro\_Romancer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/50afbb/32.png) [@Necro\_Romancer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Necro_Romancer)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2004, 8:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hamas-founder-killed-what-now/235705/1 "2004-03-22T08:55:08Z")
[BBC](http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/3556099.stm) [Haaretz](http://dclk.themarker.com/html.ng/site=haaretz&adsize=5x5&hposition=4&hlayer1=1&hlang=ENG&HaaretzCatgory=1) Israel has killed a major political and spiritual leader. His organization’s non-millitary wing has built schools for Palestinians, given money to the poor, and is well loved. He’s also one of the founders of Hamas. > [@](#): > > Tens of thousands of Palestinians, many in tears, poured into the streets of Gaza City immediately after the strike. Gunmen fired into the air and militants threw dozens of pipe-bombs to express their outrage. The Palestinian Authority declared three days of mourning. > > The Al Aqsa Martyrs Brigade, a militant group connected to PA Chairman Yasser Arafat’s Fatah faction, declared war on Israelis in response to the assassination. “War, war, war on the sons of Zion. An eye for an eye. There will be a response within hours, God willing,” the group, which has killed said in a statement. This seems like a “holy shit” moment. Should anyone consider flying into the area now? I’m really not interested in the morality of the Israeli action or Palestinian response, but rather what will come of it, and at what intensity. What happens now? ---
**Author:** ![if6was9](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/e47c2d/32.png) [@if6was9](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/if6was9)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2004, 9:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hamas-founder-killed-what-now/235705/2 "2004-03-22T09:04:10Z")
Much rejoicing and happiness? ---
**Author:** ![if6was9](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/e47c2d/32.png) [@if6was9](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/if6was9)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2004, 9:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hamas-founder-killed-what-now/235705/3 "2004-03-22T09:05:30Z")
Forgot… 😃 :D: 😃 😃 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Larry\_Mudd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f14d63/32.png) [@Larry\_Mudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Larry_Mudd)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2004, 9:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hamas-founder-killed-what-now/235705/4 "2004-03-22T09:08:54Z")
> [@](#): > > An eye for an eye. There will be a response within hours, God willing. What, they’re going to launch a Have-Lite air-to-surface missile at an old Israeli man in a wheelchair? I have a feeling a whole lotta eyes are going to be put out over this one. On both sides. Ugly. ---
**Author:** ![Larry\_Mudd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f14d63/32.png) [@Larry\_Mudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Larry_Mudd)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2004, 9:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hamas-founder-killed-what-now/235705/5 "2004-03-22T09:20:34Z")
[This can’t help, either](http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2004/03/22/1079939577150.html). > [@](#): > > Palestinian medical sources said a 13-year-old Palestinian boy was shot in the head by Israeli troops during a mass demonstration in the southern Gaza Strip town of Khan Yunis. > > And a Palestinian with an axe attacked and wounded three people outside an army base near Tel Aviv today hours after Yassin was killed. ---
**Author:** ![myrnajean](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c57346/32.png) [@myrnajean](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/myrnajean)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2004, 4:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hamas-founder-killed-what-now/235705/6 "2004-03-23T04:30:09Z")
Oh geesh, its the eye for an eye thing again. Oh well, look on the bright side, it opens up an enormous market for seeing eye dogs, those white walking canes, armored wheelchairs, dark sunglasses, etc, etc. I wonder if Halliburton has the market cornered already? ---
**Author:** ![MeanJoe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/meanjoe/32/5693_2.png) [@MeanJoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MeanJoe)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2004, 2:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hamas-founder-killed-what-now/235705/7 "2004-03-23T14:57:23Z")
Now what? Stay the heck off the buses for awhile, that’s what! 😃 What a rotten situation… MeanJoe ---
**Author:** ![Ponder\_Stibbons](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ponder_stibbons/32/343_2.png) [@Ponder\_Stibbons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ponder_Stibbons)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2004, 4:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hamas-founder-killed-what-now/235705/8 "2004-03-23T16:39:53Z")
What does it really mean? It don’t mean shit, is what it means. Hamas has already dedicated itself to the destruction of Israel and killing as many Israelis as they can. I mean, how can they make it _worse_? “Oh, we’re gonna get revenge on you now!” they’re all yelling. Yea, and this is different from your current tactics … how? Of course, the flip side is just as true. OK, Israel, you’ve just killed the big senior Hamas guy. And you think this is going to change things … how? Round and round it goes how it stops nobody knows. ---
**Author:** ![yojimbo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yojimbo/32/232_2.png) [@yojimbo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yojimbo)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2004, 5:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hamas-founder-killed-what-now/235705/9 "2004-03-23T17:38:56Z")
> [@Ponder Stibbons](#): > > I mean, how can they make it _worse_? “Oh, we’re gonna get revenge on you now!” they’re all yelling. Yea, and this is different from your current tactics … how? Wll there’s most likely going to be more support for Hamas because of this > [@](#): > > The few people about have an air of sullen anger, he says; and many people who do not normally support Hamas are nevertheless expressing the desire to see the militants exact a bloody revenge. from [Israel vows to hit Hamas again](http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/middle_east/3559905.stm) ---
**Author:** ![My\_Darn\_Snake\_Legs](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f14d63/32.png) [@My\_Darn\_Snake\_Legs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/My_Darn_Snake_Legs)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2004, 6:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hamas-founder-killed-what-now/235705/10 "2004-03-23T18:58:59Z")
I have to hand it to those Israelies. When they decide to kill someone they don’t mess around. Wasn’t it just a couple of months ago that they shot missiles into another Hamas leader’s car form a helicopter while the guy was sitting at a red light? I don’t keep track of the politics in that area beyond a weak understanding that they really hate each other, but it seems to me that Israel is doing better with helicopters than Hamas is doing with suicide bombings. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2004, 2:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hamas-founder-killed-what-now/235705/11 "2004-03-24T02:14:40Z")
Moving this to Great Debates. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Flying\_Dutchman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/9fc348/32.png) [@The\_Flying\_Dutchman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Flying_Dutchman)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2004, 4:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hamas-founder-killed-what-now/235705/12 "2004-03-24T04:52:05Z")
> [@Ponder Stibbons](#): > > Of course, the flip side is just as true. OK, Israel, you’ve just killed the big senior Hamas guy. And you think this is going to change things … how? So what do you think? Should Bush lay off trying to kill OBL? ---
**Author:** ![clairobscur](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/839c29/32.png) [@clairobscur](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/clairobscur)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2004, 5:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hamas-founder-killed-what-now/235705/13 "2004-03-24T05:27:09Z")
> [@Ponder Stibbons](#): > > What does it really mean? It don’t mean shit, is what it means. Hamas has already dedicated itself to the destruction of Israel and killing as many Israelis as they can. > > I mean, how can they make it _worse_? “Oh, we’re gonna get revenge on you now!” they’re all yelling. Yea, and this is different from your current tactics … how? > . I read today in some article that the recent assassination of Yacine and another guy I forgot the name of could mean that more extremist Hamas leaders could take control of the organization. Apparently, he was a “moderate” by Hamas standarts (supporting civilian bombings only in retaliation of Israeli attacks as long as the military occupation of the territories would last). ---
**Author:** ![Zagadka](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zagadka/32/7272_2.png) [@Zagadka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zagadka)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2004, 6:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hamas-founder-killed-what-now/235705/14 "2004-03-24T06:01:41Z")
Maybe he isn’t dead. Maybe he’ll grow 3x as big, start glowing red, shooting fire out of his eyes and jump around a lot, and Israel will have to run around throwing mushrooms at a button on his forehead. This won’t end. ---
**Author:** ![Necro\_Romancer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/50afbb/32.png) [@Necro\_Romancer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Necro_Romancer)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2004, 6:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hamas-founder-killed-what-now/235705/15 "2004-03-24T06:45:02Z")
> [@Ponder Stibbons](#): > > I mean, how can they make it worse? I think we can safely say that many more will be supporting/joining Hamas. > [@Ponder Stibbons](#): > > Of course, the flip side is just as true. OK, Israel, you’ve just killed the big senior Hamas guy. And you think this is going to change things … how? In the grand scheme of things, who knows? Regardless of what happens, the man deserved his death. Whether or not Israel should have let this slide is a better question. I really don’t think Israel and Palestine can get along, no matter what compromises are made. ---
**Author:** ![rjung](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/45deac/32.png) [@rjung](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rjung)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2004, 7:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hamas-founder-killed-what-now/235705/16 "2004-03-24T07:06:41Z")
> [@grienspace](#): > > Should Bush lay off trying to kill OBL? He already did, from 3/2002-12/2003. “I don’t know where bin Laden is. I have no idea and really don’t care. It’s not that important. It’s not our priority.” – George W. Bush, 3/13/2002 Sure, George is concerned _now,_ but that’s only because it’s an election year… ---
**Author:** ![Noone\_Special](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/noone_special/32/2863_2.png) [@Noone\_Special](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Noone_Special)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2004, 7:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hamas-founder-killed-what-now/235705/17 "2004-03-24T07:10:16Z")
There’s already an ongoing debate about this very topic [here](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=246475) - I think you’ll find many of your questions have been looked at from several angles there Dani ---
**Author:** ![SentientMeat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/43a26b/32.png) [@SentientMeat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SentientMeat)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2004, 12:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hamas-founder-killed-what-now/235705/18 "2004-03-24T12:05:52Z")
In terms of an immediate successor, the leader-elect [Abdel Aziz al Rantissi](http://www.guardian.co.uk/israel/Story/0,2763,1176595,00.html) is even more militant. He has similarly been given an extrajudiciary sentence of death by assassination. If you kill the ones who appear on TV, there is no link to the ones who could order the actual bombers to cease. ---
**Author:** ![smiling\_bandit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e9a140/32.png) [@smiling\_bandit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/smiling_bandit)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2004, 8:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hamas-founder-killed-what-now/235705/19 "2004-03-24T20:06:18Z")
Israel’s goal right now is to decapitate the various Palestinian thugocracies. Probably, in a few months they’ll start fighting each other openly and it will turn into a bloodbath. A few years thereafter, it will have all died down and Israel won’t have a problem anymore. ---
**Author:** ![psiekier](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/psiekier/32/116_2.png) [@psiekier](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/psiekier)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2004, 8:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hamas-founder-killed-what-now/235705/20 "2004-03-24T20:41:00Z")
> [@My Darn Snake Legs](#): > > I have to hand it to those Israelies. When they decide to kill someone they don’t mess around. To be honest, when I saw [this image](http://www.freecfm.com/p/psiekier/saruman_hamas.jpg) on AOL’s front page the other day, the first thing that came to mind was, “apparently, Israel has had enough of [Saruman](http://www.imdb.com/gallery/ss/0120737/Ss/0120737/1-14473.jpg?path=pgallery&path_key=Lee,%20Christopher%20(I))’s evil ways.” … then I laughed at the headline for [this Yahoo! News article](http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/040323/photos_ts/israel_missile_graphic) featured on [Fark.com](http://www.fark.com/), which read: > [@](#): > > Israel says militants _Marked for Death_ and that no one is _Above the Law_. Israelis are _Out For Justice_, Militant leaders are _Hard to Kill_. Arafat still _Under Siege_, Palestinians _Under Siege 2_. All of Middle East is _On Deadly Ground_. If that’s not funny, you have to realize that… … those are all titles of (fairly bad) Steven Seagal movies. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hamas-founder-killed-what-now/235705.md?page=2)