More On Hamas

My personal view of the Hamas issue is that Hamas' election offers the first real ray of hope for Palestine. And for Israel too. The Fatah party was as corrupt as our Republican Party - maybe more so. I know - I know. That's a high bar.

Arafat was an exceptionally poor spokesman for a people whose story, if presented well by a credible spokesperson, would resonate well with at least 90% of the World's population. Sound like anything you're familiar with? The Likud and Sharonistas were essentially a mirror image of Fatah, but with high tech killing weapons, many of which we supplied.

Both sides should disengage from their hatred of each other and put the long term interests of their people as the #1 goal long enough to work out mutually beneficial agreements. Fatah exploited that hatred for greed and power while Hamas worked for the education and care of an occupied people who have had their land confiscated for the sake of a religious quest. Hamas' military acts were a secondary, albeit bloody, pursuit.

What about Hamas' stated desire to see Israel destroyed. So what? That's the political rhetoric of hatred and is primarily a way of venting anger. They don't have as much capability as Israel to bomb residential neighborhoods, imprison without a trial, assassinate opponents and spy on their only "friend", so such venting is probably a better way of expressing what they think of the other side. What about the suicide bombers? Last time I counted the Palestinian deaths were at least 3 times the Israeli deaths. Eye for an eye, or tit for tat, is a game for fools. Just like 19th Century military occupations and colonization in the 21st Century.

This is an opportunity, but the US and Israel will screw it up before our comeuppance and World competition for the Mideast level the playing field and straighten things out.

Stay tuned.

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Hamas Will Compromise

Rami Khouri, February 14, 2006
TomPaine

http://www.tompaine.com/articles/2006/02/14/hamas_will_compromise.php

Rami G. Khouri is editor at large of the Beirut-based Daily Star newspaper, published throughout the Middle East with the International Herald Tribune.

I had the opportunity last week to explore firsthand the implications of the victory of Hamas in last month’s Palestinian parliamentary elections. I went to talk to Hamas leaders at the Palestinian refugee camp of Burj Al Barajneh in Beirut, where poor, disenfranchised Palestinian refugees live in rather atrocious material conditions.

After two and a half hours of discussions among Hamas, other Palestinian parties and an Anglo-American visiting delegation, I now know better why Hamas swept the Palestinian elections. The human contact also reveals what the news does not convey: This exiled, marginalized, downtrodden and vulnerable refugee community walks today with its head held higher than any other group of people in the entire Middle East, because of its unique combination of self-confidence, perseverance, success and legitimacy. They are the only Arabs who enjoy an authentic mandate from their people, genuinely manifested through victory in two free elections at the municipal and national levels.

.......................... Read more at the link.

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U.S. and Israelis Are Said to Talk of Hamas Ouster

By STEVEN ERLANGER, February 14, 2006, New York Times

http://www.nytimes.com/2006/02/14/international/middleeast/14mideast.htm...

JERUSALEM, Feb. 13 — The United States and Israel are discussing ways to destabilize the Palestinian government so that newly elected Hamas officials will fail and elections will be called again, according to Israeli officials and Western diplomats.

The intention is to starve the Palestinian Authority of money and international connections to the point where, some months from now, its president, Mahmoud Abbas, is compelled to call a new election. The hope is that Palestinians will be so unhappy with life under Hamas that they will return to office a reformed and chastened Fatah movement.

........................ Read more at the link.

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France Backs Putin on Speaking to Hamas

By JOEL BRINKLEY, February 11, 2006, New York Times

http://www.nytimes.com/2006/02/11/international/europe/11diplo.html?_r=1...

WASHINGTON, Feb. 10 — France on Friday endorsed Russia's decision to hold talks on the Middle East conflict with Hamas, the radical Islamist Palestinian group, saying the discussion "can contribute to advancing our positions."

Other European countries distanced themselves from the French statement, which appeared to be in defiance of the American and European view that Hamas is a terrorist organization and therefore should not be officially recognized. Israel condemned it. But the United States took a more cautious approach.

........................Read more at the link.

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Hamas "ready to talk to Israel"
BBC

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/middle_east/4692114.stm

The political leader of Palestinian militant group Hamas has said the group is willing to take a serious step towards peace if Israel does the same.

Khaled Meshaal told the BBC that Hamas would not renounce violence, saying resisting an occupation was legal.

But he said a long-term truce would be possible if Israel accepted conditions including a return to its 1967 borders.

Israel's acting PM said if he won next month's poll, Israel would retain West Bank settlement blocs and Jerusalem.

However, Ehud Olmert said Israel would be prepared to give up parts of the West Bank where most Palestinians were living.

His interview on Israel television was his first since taking power a month ago following Ariel Sharon's massive stroke.

.........................Read more at the link.