Their Thoughts on Hamas
Soccer Dad has put together a good roundup regarding the Hamas victory. Read it.
On a separate note Forbes reports the following:
“A Hamas leader asked the international community on Monday not to cut aid to the Palestinian Authority, insisting the money would go toward helping the Palestinian people and Hamas was willing to have its spending monitored.
Ismail Haniyeh, a Hamas leader in Gaza, also said the Islamic militant group is ready to negotiate the terms of continued foreign aid with donor countries.
He spoke ahead of Monday’s meeting of the so-called Quartet of Mideast mediators – the United States, the European Union, the United Nations and Russia – to discuss the repercussions of Hamas’ election victory. The United States and European nations have said they will cut off aid to a Hamas-led government unless the group recognizes Israel, renounces violence and adheres to interim peace deals with Israel.”
You’ll forgive me for being skeptical. I am sure that they will spend that aid just as they say they will. I am positive that they’ll put on a big show demonstrating how charitable and kind they are.
Behind the scenes they’ll rub their hands in glee and chuckle knowing that they don’t have to be beg for as much money and will continue constructing scenarios of death and destruction.
If you ask for the two cent analysis about why they do not want to see two states living side by side it is because if that ever happens they will be forced to face a new reality in which Israel can respond to acts of violence the way a country traditionally responds to acts of war.
The accountability of their actions is far different as a state than as a terrorist group and they are well aware of it. More on this to come.
Jack's Shack January 31, 2006 at 6:24 am
Hi David,
No, thank you. Your roundup was great.
Q,
I sure hope so.
Callie,
Sadly I suspect that you are right.
callieischatty January 31, 2006 at 2:02 am
They will get all the help they need from the Saudi’s and Iran and it won’t matter a bit if the US cuts them off.
I doubt the EU will.
Remember they don’t want to see them ACTUALLy change just to SAY they will change.
Big difference.
Its an open secret that the EU doesn’t mind them bombing Israeli’s or else the wall wouldn’t be such an issue.
Think, its really not about what they do, its what they say.
Period.
Stephen (aka Q) January 30, 2006 at 8:31 pm
I assume the USA will stick to its guns on this issue and not support Hamas unless they turn over a new page, or at least begin to mouth the right words.
I hope the other indignant parties — e.g. the United Nations and the European Union — will likewise stick to their guns.
Hamas’s victory might provide a historic opportunity to force them a few steps down the path of legitimacy. But it won’t if Western nations capitulate and keep pouring funds into Palestine as if Hamas is legitimate in its current incarnation.
Soccer Dad January 30, 2006 at 4:17 pm
Thanks a lot Jack. I am getting a lot of traffic from this recommendation!