Am I the only one who sees the connection between these two stories in the news today.

First this from the BBC:

Iran pledges $50m Palestinian aid

Iran will donate $50m (£28m) to help fund the Palestinian Authority, after the withdrawal of aid from the West, the Iranian government has announced.

Iran’s Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki said Iran was determined to help the Palestinians. “I am honoured to announce that Iran has donated $50m to help the Palestinian nation,” he said in a televised speech.

And then this from Agence France Presse:

Palestinian militant leaders rally behind Iran

TEHRAN (AFP) - Palestinian militant leaders have rallied behind Iran, vowing to resist pressure to recognise Israel and supporting the Islamic republic in its stand-off with the West over its nuclear programme.

Hamas supremo Khaled Meshaal vowed that the new Palestinian government will not recognise Israel, regardless of mounting international pressure on the militant group to do so — sticking with the tough position supported by Iran’s leadership.

Islamic Jihad chief Abdullah Ramadan Shala also joined Hamad by vowing his Palestinian militant group would stand by Iran in the event of any military action by the United States or Israel.

Well now aren’t they just as cuddly as two bugs in a rug.

Others blogging on this:

Blue Crab Boulevard thinks this deal will end badly for the Palestinians.

A Blog for All says its not going so good right now.

Fears of growing unrest? In the past week alone, there have been security guards who have forced their way into government buildings demanding payment, and it is only going to get worse. Hamas has no ability to govern any more than Fatah ever could. They’re terrorist organizations with no interest in governance and providing for basic services other than suicide bombing recruitment.

Prairie Pundit is reporting Iran isn’t the only one helping Hamas.

A leader of the Palestinian Hamas organization has met with an al-Qaida fundraiser in Yemen, the Jerusalem Post reported Friday.
The meeting, two weeks ago at a fundraising event by the Hamas office in Yemen, was between Khaled Marshaal and Sheikh Abd al-Majid al-Zindani, said by the United States to be a fundraiser for al-Qaida and a spiritual leader of Osama bin Laden.

The Jerusalem Post report said that at the event Zindani praised Hamas suicide bombers and urged people to donate money to the organization,