HAMAS Wins! Thanks to Us

[Coexist]

From TPMCafe - very thought-provoking:

There is, no doubt, a whole lot of celebrating going on. For those more afraid of negotiations than of Hamas, Islamic Jihad, or any of that violent crew, a collapsing Palestinian Authority with Gaza in absolute chaos with Mahmoud Abbas weakened almost to irrelevancy is a dream come true.

Gaza has fallen to Hamas. Abu Mazen's Fatah is on the run. Unless a United Nations force (like UNIFIL) steps in, a sliver of territory with a population of 1.4 million, a short drive from Tel Aviv will become a dagger aimed at Israel's heart and perhaps even an Al Qaeda staging ground. A humanitarian crisis of horrific proportions is a certainty.

Who's fault is it?

read the rest...

What jumped out at me, while reading this, is the phrase "right wing". The article is peppered with it. And it is used correctly in each case.

Conservative, right-wing "religious" thinking is at the root of many of the world's man-made problems today. What do you think about it?

[madrchsod]

1. everything that was written in this article

is true. The Israeli and Palestinian people are paying the price.

[malaise]

2. In case you forgot

Hamas won a legitimate election which the US and Zionists refused to acknowledge.

[Coexist]

3. I did not forget - that is in the article.

[malaise]

4. Peace

I didn't read it yet.

[Xenotime]

7. Agreed.

[Selatius]

9. We did to them what we want to do with Iran: Not talk to them at all.

That's a bridge to nowhere we want to go.

[janx]

5. It ain't over 'til it's over,

as they say.

http://www.turkishpress.com/news.asp?id=181384&s=&i=&t=Fatah_fighters_exact_revenge_in_West_Bank_rampage

Some Fatah fighters are now routing out Hamas members in the West Bank.

[pampango]

6. Israel may not view this as the worst thing that ever happened.

The Palestinian entity is now split in two. There is a "wild" half and a "tame" half. Israel can negotiate (or pretend to) with the "tame" ones and pursue military measures (something they are not reluctant to do) with the "wild" ones.

While it may be our fault (as always) that the "bad" guys won a victory through violence, it may be something that some in the administration and Israel were hoping for. Not recognizing the consequences Hamas' electoral victory meant that they would either go away (not likely) or they would do what they do best, and they did.

[janx]

8. I've been thinking along the same lines.

There's definitely more to come.

[pampango]

11. Analysis: Hamas victory could be an opportunity for Israel

Just came across this article from the Jerusalem Post that makes a similar point.

http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1181570268695&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull

[janx]

13. We ARE thinking along the same lines--

I just read that, and I like that writer's style very much too. (Hamas changing its spots, card carrying Zionists, etc..)

The problem is one of time though. Apparently Abbas's "state of emergency" lasts a minimum of 30 days and a maximum (potentially) of 60.

And then, unfortunately, there's this:

Hundreds flee Hamas-run Gaza amid spillover fears

http://ca.today.reuters.com/news/newsArticle.aspx?type=topNews&storyID=2007-06-16T154649Z_01_FLE455032_RTRIDST_0_NEWS-PALESTINIANS-COL.XML

[papau]

10. As a Palestinian friend said - this was not the two state solution he was working for-but it is a 2

state "solution" to another problem.

[WHAT]

14. Israel is no good at hand to hand combat, so...

they are in a weaker position. They can't nuke because of proximity. The Palestinians did vote for Hamas so it remains to be seen how things turn-out in the West Bank.

All in all, I think Israel has really screwed itself.

[pampango]

15. I suspect you are right about the hand-to-hand combat,

particularly in areas that have high concentrations of civilians which limits the use of advance weapons.

At least now, if there are missile or other forms of attacks from Gaza directed at Israel, there won't be much confusion about who controls the territory they were launched from. What Isreal can do about it remains to be seen.

[Strelnikov_]

16. Actually . . .

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Krav_maga

Krav Maga is a self-defense and military hand-to-hand combat system developed in Israel. It came to prominence following its adoption by various Israeli Security Forces and is now used by military and law enforcement personnel, as well as civilians, around the world. The Krav Maga taught in civilian self defence classes is more often a simplified version that emphasizes personal self-defense, and excludes numerous 'more lethal' techniques taught to the military, plus holds and come-alongs taught to police forces- as there are legal proscriptions in some countries which govern and constrain the teaching of hazardous or life-threatening techniques to civilians.

[WHAT]

17. sounds like a best-seller; pragmatically...

I wonder about "heart" more than expertise...as well as familiarity w/terrain, ratio of combatants, strategic resources etc.

I don't mean to be rude, but I just don't believe what anyone says, anymore, and so I try to think things out for myself even if I am no expert. I wonder what the Israelis think outside of the propaganda. I can't believe everyone hates everyone because it's just not natural or sustainable. If the West Bank flips for Hamas, how long would it take to starve that many people? (not totally absurd)

[ProdigalJunkMail]

12. boy, I can't WAIT to go to Israel next week...

nothing like being a few miles from this sort of crap...

sP