THE MIDDLE EAST:

Community meetings in both the Gaza Strip and southern Lebanon have agreed on the names for new broad-based groups to represent the interest of residents in both territories.

The meetings were held over the past few days following repeated assertions by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that he would totally eliminate current Islamist representative organisations Hamas in Gaza and Hezbollah in Lebanon.

In Gaza local meetings agreed to call the new representative group Samah (main picture) and the new organisation planned for Lebanon is to be called Hallobzeh.

Representatives of the two new groups said their establishment was a necessity given the possibility that Mr Netanyahu’s aim could be achieved and the Israeli Defence Force’s widespread attacks might destroy the existing organisations.     

Representatives of both Samah and Hallobzeh said they had received overwhelming interest in the two new groups.

“We’ve had such strong interest in our new Samah group that we haven’t been able to print enough membership forms,” a Gaza resident said.

Those recruiting for Hallobzeh in Lebanon faced the same problem.

Both groups said new members wanted to sign up and pay membership fees for more than just themselves.

“Lots of people not normally interested in joining such organisations have come forward to take out membership,” a spokesperson for Samah said.

“In fact all of them have taken out life membership for themselves and also for their children and their children’s children, as well as their children’s children’s children, even though many are yet to have families,” they said.

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