As a Jew, I feel the need to open my mouth
The Hamas Victory:
I can't say I'm surprised, although apparently the rest of the world is. They'd won over the hearts and minds of the people years ago - it was really just a matter of time before they won control of the government as well.
I don't know why all the shock, though. Is everyone really that stupid? Did they really think that the Palestinian Authority was what the people wanted - it's absolutely the lap-dog of the Israeli government. And Hamas is good for the people - they are very well-known for providing services to the needy. They have a legitimate political platform, or at least as legitimate as anyone else's, and certainly more noble than most - they simply want to govern themselves and have their own state. Really, they have been reduced to fighting and terrorist tactics out of desperation - I'm quite certain that any number of American citizens would do the exact same thing in their shoes. In fact, didn't they do something remarkably similar a couple hundred years ago?
Condoleeza Rice's statement today really took the cake:
You cannot have one foot in politics and another in terror
What does she think of the US government? How about the Israeli government? Or the Iranian government? Or the dozens of other governments we have worked with over the years that have covertly (or not) engaged in "terrorist" tactics against multiple other countries and people? There are really only two differences: first, Hamas is quite open about it, and second, Hamas until now has not been state-sponsored. Well, I guess it's still not "state" sponsored since technically, Palestine is not really a "state".
If everyone is that concerned about doing business with what the US considers a "terrorist organization" (despite the fact that they are quite clearly a legitimate political party in addition to their violent tactics), then now is really their chance to try to "legitimize" Hamas. Other countries have the muscle, they can put pressure on Hamas to disavow the violence, separate themselves from the militants. I don't think it will work, necessarily, but they can at least try before just deciding not to talk to them (as Bush and the Israelis have).
People are going to have to deal with it. They are now a legitimate organization with more than legitimate concerns and goals. I think if people could look past the desperate men and women associated with Hamas who have resorted to using terrorist tactics in an attempt to be heard, they would see that what Hamas wants is in NO way unreasonable. Not in the US or Isreal's best financial interest, perhaps (depending how you look at it), but still, what they want is truly reasonable and should absolutely be obtainable. If other goverments would wake up and realize that, maybe we could get somewhere.
Or, maybe everyone will blow each other up. It's eventually going to be one or the other. I vote for my option.
I can't say I'm surprised, although apparently the rest of the world is. They'd won over the hearts and minds of the people years ago - it was really just a matter of time before they won control of the government as well.
I don't know why all the shock, though. Is everyone really that stupid? Did they really think that the Palestinian Authority was what the people wanted - it's absolutely the lap-dog of the Israeli government. And Hamas is good for the people - they are very well-known for providing services to the needy. They have a legitimate political platform, or at least as legitimate as anyone else's, and certainly more noble than most - they simply want to govern themselves and have their own state. Really, they have been reduced to fighting and terrorist tactics out of desperation - I'm quite certain that any number of American citizens would do the exact same thing in their shoes. In fact, didn't they do something remarkably similar a couple hundred years ago?
Condoleeza Rice's statement today really took the cake:
You cannot have one foot in politics and another in terror
What does she think of the US government? How about the Israeli government? Or the Iranian government? Or the dozens of other governments we have worked with over the years that have covertly (or not) engaged in "terrorist" tactics against multiple other countries and people? There are really only two differences: first, Hamas is quite open about it, and second, Hamas until now has not been state-sponsored. Well, I guess it's still not "state" sponsored since technically, Palestine is not really a "state".
If everyone is that concerned about doing business with what the US considers a "terrorist organization" (despite the fact that they are quite clearly a legitimate political party in addition to their violent tactics), then now is really their chance to try to "legitimize" Hamas. Other countries have the muscle, they can put pressure on Hamas to disavow the violence, separate themselves from the militants. I don't think it will work, necessarily, but they can at least try before just deciding not to talk to them (as Bush and the Israelis have).
People are going to have to deal with it. They are now a legitimate organization with more than legitimate concerns and goals. I think if people could look past the desperate men and women associated with Hamas who have resorted to using terrorist tactics in an attempt to be heard, they would see that what Hamas wants is in NO way unreasonable. Not in the US or Isreal's best financial interest, perhaps (depending how you look at it), but still, what they want is truly reasonable and should absolutely be obtainable. If other goverments would wake up and realize that, maybe we could get somewhere.
Or, maybe everyone will blow each other up. It's eventually going to be one or the other. I vote for my option.