Hamas: Didan Notzach!
Plenty of people are watching the Palestinian elections with an awful lot of trepidation, among them the governments of Israel, the United States and Europe.
In classic Jewish style, Olmert was virtually on his knees pleading with the Palestinians to elect someone good for Israel rather than someone who would expose the naked Emperor. Hamas may be, and probably indeed is, great for the Palestinians, but not very good for the Jews. The trouble is that the Palestinians, not the Jews, are the ones voting, so count on them to vote for who is good for them, not us.
No longer can anyone say that the problem lay in Arafat, or anybody else for that matter. No longer can anyone babble about "waiting for a better partner"; if Abu Mazen must educate us, then so be it. Let us listen to him: "We are partners with the Israelis. They don't have the right to choose their partner".
The results so far show that almost less than half of the Palestinians have chosen a party that sanctions terror under the carpet; the majority are not interested in beating around the bush, and have voted H-A-M-A-S. Once the democratic process is underway, it must be respected: The Arabs are talking here, listen to what they are saying. It is perhaps the first time in history that a nation made an informed choice, in the most free and democratic of ways, to formally embrace terror as a way of life.
So everyone is nervously trying to figure out what to do, now that Hamas has shocked the world by getting twice the votes anyone dared forecast. Fatah managed to hide its involvement in terror, at least to the satisfaction of those who were willing to go to any length to not see it. Hamas makes no pretense whatsoever as to its intentions. In the most polite and blunt way, they have stated: Recognition of Israel, "negotiating" with Israel, ending terrorism, is "not on the agenda". This puts everyone into a quandary: Even Israel cannot be expected to negotiate with someone who openly, officially calls for its destruction. Bush has said the same up till now: "Not until you renounce your desire to destroy Israel will we deal with you". But nobody seems to be asking: why negotiate? What for? If Hamas will now "recognize" Israel, he will deal with it? These people are bloody terrorists!
Anyone with an ounce of sense, be it Israel or the Bush Administration, would gladly seize on the opportunity to realize that the Emperor is naked, and that we have not only no real or true partner for peace, but no partner at all. It is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to return to the status quo, and make some true peace in the Middle East, Afghanistan/Iraq-style.
But dont count on anyone currently holding the cards to capitalize on it. The Jews will behave themselves nicely and properly to the end. G-d Almighty, have mercy on us...
In classic Jewish style, Olmert was virtually on his knees pleading with the Palestinians to elect someone good for Israel rather than someone who would expose the naked Emperor. Hamas may be, and probably indeed is, great for the Palestinians, but not very good for the Jews. The trouble is that the Palestinians, not the Jews, are the ones voting, so count on them to vote for who is good for them, not us.
No longer can anyone say that the problem lay in Arafat, or anybody else for that matter. No longer can anyone babble about "waiting for a better partner"; if Abu Mazen must educate us, then so be it. Let us listen to him: "We are partners with the Israelis. They don't have the right to choose their partner".
The results so far show that almost less than half of the Palestinians have chosen a party that sanctions terror under the carpet; the majority are not interested in beating around the bush, and have voted H-A-M-A-S. Once the democratic process is underway, it must be respected: The Arabs are talking here, listen to what they are saying. It is perhaps the first time in history that a nation made an informed choice, in the most free and democratic of ways, to formally embrace terror as a way of life.
So everyone is nervously trying to figure out what to do, now that Hamas has shocked the world by getting twice the votes anyone dared forecast. Fatah managed to hide its involvement in terror, at least to the satisfaction of those who were willing to go to any length to not see it. Hamas makes no pretense whatsoever as to its intentions. In the most polite and blunt way, they have stated: Recognition of Israel, "negotiating" with Israel, ending terrorism, is "not on the agenda". This puts everyone into a quandary: Even Israel cannot be expected to negotiate with someone who openly, officially calls for its destruction. Bush has said the same up till now: "Not until you renounce your desire to destroy Israel will we deal with you". But nobody seems to be asking: why negotiate? What for? If Hamas will now "recognize" Israel, he will deal with it? These people are bloody terrorists!
Anyone with an ounce of sense, be it Israel or the Bush Administration, would gladly seize on the opportunity to realize that the Emperor is naked, and that we have not only no real or true partner for peace, but no partner at all. It is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to return to the status quo, and make some true peace in the Middle East, Afghanistan/Iraq-style.
But dont count on anyone currently holding the cards to capitalize on it. The Jews will behave themselves nicely and properly to the end. G-d Almighty, have mercy on us...
posted by Nathan at 10:43 PM
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