What to say about the ascendency of a terrorist organization to political power? Democracy should prevail in the Middle East, but what to make of the fact that the Palestinians have chosen -- and chose the political arm of Hamas, whose charter advocates the destruction of Israel? I think the rub here is not to look at this decision by Palestinians as a vote solely in favor of terrorism. Hamas leaders' have avoided the corruption that plagues Fatah, the organization built by Yasser Arafat. Hamas has also done a much better job in creating social services and taking care of the impoverished Palestinian population than Fatah.
At the same time, how can America support the legitimate results of democracy and encourage continued efforts at state-building in the West Bank and Gaza Strip while condemning the terrorist acts of Hamas, which remains unrepentant for its use of violence and terror and advocation of Israel's destruction, and continues to refuse to rule out the continued use of violence to achieve its aims? The key may be to be pragmatic. Recognize the value of democracy as a legitimate end in itself, even when the result is unfavorable to our interests. Refuse to accept the platform and actions of terror sponsored by Hamas and take the actions necessary to deal with (and prevent) such acts. Many observers opine that Hamas may moderate its views by becoming part of the system -- much in same way the IRA did in Northern Ireland (albeit, it remains a work in progress) when its political wing, Sinn Fein was able to join the national government. This situation remains a thorny problem that bears careful observing and the use of pragmatism.
1 comment:
sound reasoning, TJW!
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