August 27, 2007

EVEN THE SCENIC ROUTE GETS YOU TO HAMAS EVENTUALLY:

Hamas chief says Mideast conference doomed to fail (Reuters, 8/27/07)

"The American administration is fighting Hamas and working on isolating it," [Hamas chief Khaled] Meshaal said in the interview, which CNN reported was held in a heavily guarded Hamas safe house in the Syrian capital.

But Meshaal said Washington, which supports Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas of Fatah, would eventually realize it would have to deal with Hamas for the sake of Israeli-Palestinian peace.

"I only want to tell them to take a short cut and not waste their efforts," he said, while acknowledging that a U.S. invitation to Hamas to attend the upcoming conference was unlikely.

Meshaal called on the international community to deal with "the reality of the Palestinian arena" -- an apparent reference to Hamas's strong influence -- and move the Middle East closer to "genuine peace" in which "the waterfall of blood will stop".


The Administration has confused not being Realist with not being realistic.

Posted by Orrin Judd at August 27, 2007 6:44 PM
Comments

oj,
I continue to be amazed at the blinders you've donned vis a vis Hamas.
They got elected only because the insane Palestinian electorate thinks they'll kill more Jews!
They're just another thugocracy, like Fatah, like Saddam's Ba'athists and like Syria (Egypt, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan probably belong in the club as well).
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2007/08/26/wgaza126.xml

Posted by: Mike at August 27, 2007 8:45 PM

No, they were elected because they can deliver better government. Indeed, the most conspicuous fact about their period in power is that it's ended the killing of Israelis.

Note the difference though among the four you cite? Only two have ever even contested a popular election. The Right on Hamas is like the Left on Pinochet.

Posted by: oj at August 27, 2007 11:26 PM

Of course, at the same time Mashaal was giving his interview with CNN, a Hamas spokesman in Gaza was announcing that a new massive attack INSIDE Israel was on its way.

If an election were held today, Hamas would lose (even in Gaza). Arafat 'won' an election in 1996 - did it make him legitimate? He didn't dare stand in another one. Neither will Hamas.

Blinders isn't the right word.

Posted by: ratbert at August 28, 2007 7:44 AM

The reaction of the West to the election of Hamas may well have enabled Fatah to contest an election, just to get sanctions lifted and the economy moving. But that's pretty short term. Long term Hamas runs the state of Palestine.

Playing for the short term is how the West made such a hash of the Middle East in the first place.

Posted by: oj at August 28, 2007 9:34 AM

Well, I never said Fatah would win (either).

Hamas is addicted to terror and murder; they want to kill Jews, but other Palestinians will do in a pinch. They are not corrupt in the grubby sense Fatah is, but they are corrupt just the same.

What would the West Bank do, given a choice of Hamas or Likud? It would be very interesting (not that Israel is offering).

BTW - Israelis are still dying in Sderot. The dearth of terror within Israel's borders is probably more a result of the IDF and Shin Bet than any benificience from Hamas.

Posted by: ratbert at August 29, 2007 1:49 AM

Odd sort of addiction that they went cold turkey on so easily. Israel is in the streets of Palestine killing Palestinians. Hamas isn't even responding.

Posted by: oj at August 29, 2007 6:05 AM

Daily doses of Qassam rockets isn't cold turkey. Sure, they're pretty much impotent, but Israelis get hurt and killed just the same.

I was unaware that Israel was in the streets of Gaza. They shoot the rocketeers (when they see them), but I believe that is done from their side of the border.

Your confidence in Hamas should be reserved until the next election is held. The first one was a Western demand, irresistable after Arafat's death. The second one is the key (for any hope of a democratic Palestine). I don't believe Hamas will ever accede. When do you predict it?

Posted by: ratbert at August 29, 2007 7:31 AM

What are the respective body counts in the war?

They already had the second, the one Hamas won.

Posted by: oj at August 29, 2007 9:03 AM
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