September 4, 2006
THE FRANCHISE IS A HARSH MISTRESS:
Across Palestinian territories, support for Hamas erodes: The militant group that swept the polls in January may form a coalition government with the opposition Fatah Party (Joshua Mitnick, 9/05/06, The Christian Science Monitor)
"Hamas started with an agenda of reform and change. This program clashed with reality," [Arabic teacher, Abu Dayeh] says. "Every government needs a political program, but this government has thrown its hands up and said, 'Be patient.' No government should say that."At a time when Hizbullah has enjoyed a surge in popularity throughout the Arab world from its month-long war with Israel, Islamic militants in the Palestinian territories are coming under domestic pressure to resolve a financial crisis or share power.
It was in American and Israeli interests for Hamas to succeed--since it's the institution that could have most quickly--but it was always the case, as the Right in neither country ever understood, that if it didn't improve Palestinian standards of living it was going to be held accountable by voters. Posted by Orrin Judd at September 4, 2006 7:27 PM
Well no, actually.
"Living standards" is the decoy to generate western guilt. Pure, but most effective, boilerplate. "The Palestinians are suffering" never fails to get those mega-bucks flowing from the west (with the added bonus that it's all the Zionazi's fault). So no pressing reason to end the suffering, is there? (They can attack Israel, they can suffer, and they can get the money: repeat and rinse ad infinitum---or until Israel disappears, whichever comes first.)
Closer to the truth: unlike, Hezbullah, Hamas has no "victory" to tout---not yet, anyway---though with missiles being fired daily into Israel from Gaza, and that daring tunneling attack/kidnapping, it's not as though Hamas hasn't been trying. Just hasn't been spectacular enough, alas.
Not quite enough reason to pass out the candy and backlava, however. No wonder the voters are edgy.
Thus the government counsels patience. Those tunnels are coming along just fine; the suicide bombers are being primed (bad luck, though, they're not getting through as often as they'd like, damn that wall) and it's only a matter of time before a Hezbullah-style victory electrifies the electorate.
Yes, the Palestinians must be patient, because the policy is working.
Patience is indeed a virtue.
No, with a per capita GDP of only a thousand dollars or so the standard of living in Palestine has to be raised quite a bit before we should expect their society to normalize. They're just like everyone else.
They can, of course, afford to be patient because demographics will return Israel to their control.
Posted by: oj at September 5, 2006 8:03 AM