Thoughts on a Hamas led Palestine ?

A few thoughts:-

1. This was less of a pro-Hamas vote and more of an anti-Fatah vote. Fatah deserved to be kicked into touch; they were syphoning and creaming off the foreign aid the PA was being given whilst Hamas were doing important social work amongst the Palestinians.

2. You can't have it both ways: if you want a country to be democratic, you have to accept that they will from time to time vote for people you don't like. That's part of the price you pay for supporting the principle of democracy, both at home and abroad.

3. Hamas will now be under a lot of pressure to renounce violence and their commitment to the destruction of Israel, both from outside in terms of ongoing foreign aid being linked to this, and from within - an increasing number of Palestinians are realising that the homicide-suicide bombings were a ghastly mistake that has done nothing to advance their cause at home or abroad.

4. They will also have an incentive from within their own party to give up violence: political power, both its privilege and responsibility. We saw this on our turf here with Sinn Fein entering government in Northern Ireland. Yes, there's always something that sticks in one's craw when one sits down and talks to terrorists - particularly when they haven't yet given up violence - but there seems to be something ultimately compelling in the ballot box over and above the bullet and the bomb: once Sinn Fein had to concern themselves with the business of actual government, they lost the inclination - and the time and energy - to, in their IRA clothing, carry out terrorist acts.

 

The difference between the violence in Ireland and Palestine is that it wasn't fueled by a religion that teaches to wipe out infidels. They didn't preach and teach strapping bombs on their babies, either.

As long as the Palestinian people cling to a religion of hate, which has been ongoing for centuries, and as long as their "clerics" continue to preach hate from their "holy" book, they will not seek peace at any price. Comparing Ireland to Palestine is comparing apples to oranges. Besides that, Palestinians have learned through the years that violence pays because the West has continued to funnel money and aid to them without stipulations and even bent over backwards to reward their terrorism by promising them their own state (meaning the quartet - US, EU, UN, and Russia).

 

30 years ago more or less the same could have been said of the PLO-Fatah as you are now saying of Hamas.

 

That is true and I've always maintained that both were terrorist groups. Sadly, they have proved me correct.

 

MB,

You can't have it both ways: if you want a country to be democratic, you have to accept that they will from time to time vote for people you don't like. That's part of the price you pay for supporting the principle of democracy, both at home and abroad.

Democracy is all well and good, but Bro. Curtis said it most succinctly: the Palestinian people are our enemy. They proved in their post-911 celebration, they proved it by electing terrorists. The burden of proof is on them to now prove otherwise--if they wish to do so.

 

What Hamas Will Do in Power LINK

 

I guess it we elected Helter Skelter to congress, someone would say it was an anticorruption vote and not a pro helter skelter vote.

 

No matter how you try to spin it, in the end, they knowingly put a government of criminals in place who are sworn to the destruction of Israel.

 

That is undeniable, Bunyon.

 

Undeniable, but not unspinable.

 

No one in Palestine, no matter what party believes in a permanent two-state solution. They all want the destruction of Israel, and the maps in all of the Palestinian schools clearly show Palestine with no state of Israel.

I can hear the band tuning up.. "All we are saying, is give war a chance..."

And if the next prime minister of Israel is Bebe Netanyahu, buy stock in a hydrogen energy company.

 

I am no fan of Palestine but did not many of the future leaders of Israel engage in it Terrorism against Great Britain in the 20th century? Could it be that Palestians today may do the same? That is moderate. I have serious doubts because it is religiously motivated as Lady Eagle pointed out (though there is a small Christian population among the Palestians).

As Christians we should pray for our Palestian Christian brothers and sisters for they face much hardships from the Palestian muslims and ultimately we must pray for Peace between Israel and Palestine.

 

Yes - David Ben Gurion and Menachem Begin.

 

As far as I remember they only hit military or government targets. And it is established fact that Britain was working on behalf of the Arabs against Israel. They would not allow any weapons in even thought they knew Israel would have to fight on the day of their statehood. They were keeping other Jews out with an iron curtain to help the Arabs. Interning holocaust jews and deporting them, turning back whole ships of holocaust jews.

They never sent suicide bombers onto buses of innocent people.

 

Ever heard of the bombing of the King David Hotel set up by Gurion and Begin, Bunyon? I know that you don't consider a hotel to be military target or government target.

 

Yes - David Ben Gurion and Menachem Begin. </font>[/QUOTE]I was aware that Begin was the leader of Irgun Bet, a violent terrorist organization, but I was not aware that Ben Gurion was involved in the King David Hotel bombing. Do you have a good source for that? I would love to read about that.

 

State Dept. to Review Aid to Palestinians LINK

 

Apparently Ben Gurion ordered the attack and then, fortunately, got cold feet. However, Begin did not - LINK.

 

From the link:

Apparently, Ben Gurion had more than cold feet, if Haganah said no.