Clinton Warns of Impact of Hamas Victory

WASHINGTON — Senator Clinton yesterday warned of the consequences that a possible Hamas victory in a civil war with the Fatah Party could bring for Israel and America.

"The civil war in Gaza, which has the potential of spreading to the West Bank, has the potential of bringing to power Hamas with a much stronger position than it currently has," the New York senator and Democratic presidential candidate told members of the Orthodox Union, a Jewish organization. "I think that is deeply disturbing."

Mrs. Clinton said, "It's almost ironic that people are rooting for Fatah," the party founded by Yasser Arafat that appears to be losing its grip over Gaza in a battle for power with Hamas. She was one of a number of senators to speak to the Orthodox Union as part of its annual lobbying trip to Washington.

"If Hamas emerges victorious in this civil war, we have a whole new set of issues that we have to figure out how to deal with," she said,

Mrs. Clinton reiterated her longstanding support for the Jewish state, saying the recent rocket attacks into Sderot were "a tragic reminder of the threats that Israel faces every single day."

Those threats, she said, are not only to Israel, but also to America. "Israel may be on the front lines, but it is a threat to our traditions, our values, our beliefs, and it should be our common cause," she said.