Hamas Wins
I'm not sure this is worse than having Hamas lurking on the sidelines, controlling PA policy through threats of resuming bombings. Power without responsibility is a particularly malignant form of leadership and at least this era may come to an end. Some points:
1. If Palestinians want to shape their society in the image of the Koran, well, that's their perogative.
2. In practical terms, Hamas has not sponsored suicide attacks since the truce a year ago. They may be in a better position to silence Islamic Jihad than Fatah was.
3. Sharon attacted the support of middle Israel through a strategy that does not rely on a reliable partner on the Palestinian side. This should strengthen Kadima's position.
4. Even The Guardian accepts that Hamas is a terrorist organization:
1. If Palestinians want to shape their society in the image of the Koran, well, that's their perogative.
2. In practical terms, Hamas has not sponsored suicide attacks since the truce a year ago. They may be in a better position to silence Islamic Jihad than Fatah was.
3. Sharon attacted the support of middle Israel through a strategy that does not rely on a reliable partner on the Palestinian side. This should strengthen Kadima's position.
4. Even The Guardian accepts that Hamas is a terrorist organization:
Fatah, the party of Yasser Arafat and Mr Abbas - supports a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, while the founding charter of Hamas commits it to the destruction of the Jewish state.Of course, Fatah's commitment to peace was always suspect.
- sheikh X at 10:10 AM
4 Comments:
According to the ADL the Beersheva attack was Islamic Jihad and Fatah. Whereas Fatah didn't abide by a truce for a day, Hamas has been largely quiet for a year.
I think the shocked reaction of world media to the election of Hamas speaks volumes. Everyone from the Guardian to AP makes it clear that Hamas has not renounced violence and retains murder of jews as its objective.
Besides, how unhappy can you be, now that Hanan Ashrawi is trembling in her boots?
i think you must mean the beersheva attack on august 31 2004.
i'm not arguing that hamas has renounced violence - you are right, sassoon's murder demonstrates that hamas remain thugs - just that they are not worse than fatah. in fact preferable, because they don't lie about their objectives and have not engaged in major offensives since committing to a truce.
as usual, you are too hard on beilin. he is neither the fool nor the anti-semite you think.
his actual reaction:
"The victory of Hamas is bad news for everybody who believes in peace and negotiations. This organization is not ready to put an end to terrorism and make peace with Israel," said Oslo accords architect Yossi Beilin.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/4663742.stm
Read that and you'll see how shocked the world was...
(That's me, AsherV, the blogger option doesn't work.)
Whatever. His actual reaction was that Israel should
negotiate NOW with Abbas and other moderates (seing Abbas as a
moderate gives a frightening glimpse into Beilin's mind). In other
words, he desperately wants to give something in return for nothing
- as long as he gives that to Abbas.
But the point is not Beilin (a man with the inteligence of a donkey
and the heart of a tiger), who will not be a prime minister if
Israel remains an independent country and will go in history as
Judenrat members have gone.
The problem is the world. That world that you said is shocked came
back from the shock in no time. The US clearly indicated today that
there is no need to cut the aid to the Palestinian Authority as long
as they can deal with at least some non-Hamas government members. So
if some Fatah ministers are in the next government or even if just
Abbas stays put, that's enough for the US government to continue
fund them. That was today, courtesy of Condoleezza Rice.
Since typically EU is less intransigent than the US, we may safely
expect the same arrangement announced within the next week.
That means that the "shocked" international community of Western
donor countries will have legitimized and helped a government that
openly works towards the destruction of Israel. That means that
Israel will, once again, be completely alone.
Fatah at least had to pay some lip service to the existence of
Israel. Hamas showed a better bargain can be obtained: you may wage
war against Israel openely seeking its destruction while paid by
the US government and soon the EU to.
That's as if Sadat had attacked Israel on American money during the Yom Kippur war.
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