Hamas could be just what we needed

[IndianaGreen]

Hamas could be just what we needed

By Bradley Burston

Monday, 20 February (36 days to election day)

Can we trust them? No more than they can trust us, which is to say, not at all.

All we can trust is what the Palestinians want themselves. Shockingly, they didn't vote in Hamas to finish us off. They want jobs, security, social welfare, honest officials.

Shockingly, to Israelis, the Palestinians didn't vote Hamas because they want us dead. They voted Hamas because they want a life.

Contrary to the repeated extermination camp blather of supremely self-satisfied Lawrence of Arabia leftists, Israel is not about to starve the Palestinians or engage in collective punishment. No more, that is, that we've been doing on a routine basis, left and right, Labor and Likud, since the 70s.

Then what is all of this? Beyond it all, we hate thinking that Hamas might be telling the truth.

http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/pages/ShArt.jhtml?itemNo=685019&contrassID=2

[bemildred]

1. He makes some good points.

Hamas is what you have anyway, and the idea of forcing everybody to come up with some new and less hackneyed propaganda lines is refreshing in itself. I do think that between the Gaza withdrawal, the accession of Hamas, Sharon's unfortunate condition, and the US' debacle in Iraq, we have the best chance for change in a long time. Whether it is good change or global nuclear war remains to be seen.

A good piece anyway, for all the thought he put into it.

[TomClash]

2. A useful article

"We hate thinking that only terrorists can get terrorists to hold their fire."

Great stuff.