Hamas 'names its prime minister'

[alarcojon]

The Palestinian militant group Hamas has chosen Ismail Haniya, one of its leaders in Gaza, to be the next prime minister, reports say.

Mr Haniya led the Islamist group's national list of candidates in January's parliamentary elections, in which Hamas was the surprise winner.

Hamas has yet to make a formal announcement of the nomination.

...snip...

Mr Haniya, considered a pragmatist, is thought to be more open to dialogue with Israel than many other Hamas leaders.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/4721456.stm

[Texacrat]

1. I actually think it is good that Hamas is elected

If Hamas attacks now, it does indeed become an act of war versus a criminal act. Thus, I believe Hamas has more incentive to "behave" whilst in power.

Secondly, there is a reason that Hamas got elected, and it relates to economics. The Fatah party did not ensure adequate jobs and economic security for the people. The United States best understand this if they wish to be successful in Iraq.

[regnaD kciN]

2. Actually, what makes this appointment good news...

...is that Haniya is considered a "moderate" on the matter of an Islamic state. Unlike other Hamas leaders, he doesn't want to impose Sharia on Palestine.

Whether he is a pragmatist vis-a-vis Israel is good, but not all that relevant, since I suspect Hamas's election will put any further negotiations between the two into "deep freeze" for at least several years. The big question is how much Hamas will be ready and/or able to remake Palestinian society according to the Islamic model during that time. Considering that, apparently, many of those who voted for Hamas did so because they wanted to see them as an active minority faction and a brake on Fatah, rather than actually expecting them to gain an outright majority, I would worry about what would happen if Hamas decided to go all-out and impose a Taliban-like rule over Palestinan lands.