They elected terrorists. Actual, known terrorists. A terrorist organisation banned in a number of countries including Egypt (with which Gaza Strip has a border) and Jordan (with which the West Bank has a border).
If you want a video of some scummy Palestinian citizens celebrating the deaths of Israelis to offset the scummy Israeli citizens celebrating the deaths of Palestinians as proof, I don't know if I'd be able to provide one - given the relative technological differences, the small Israeli death toll, relative difference in population numbers and the fact they elected terrorists who are happy to see them killed to provide them with propaganda mean even if such a sentiment existed, the chance of it getting out on video are somewhat slim - but it's not really relevant.
The fight is Hamas, who want to see Israel extinguished and want to kill as many Israelis as possible, against the Israeli state, who aren't all that bothered about killing Arabs because they only crack their nuts with sledgehammers. And both sides were democratically elected to represent the will of their people.
Hamas’ charter explicitly calls for Israel’s destruction; it bars recognition of Israel and compromise with her. The charter also commits the group to armed struggle and, in describing its view of Israeli and Zionist plans. Hamas has engaged in many criminal acts of attacking civilians.
So is Hamas a terrorist group?
Yes. But many terrorist groups have become governments or taken leadership positions in governments in the past. That includes groups like the Irgun Z’vai Leumi and the Lochamei Herut Israel (LEHI or Stern Group), terrorist groups from the pre-state Yishuv, or Jewish settlement in Palestine. From the ranks of those groups came two Israeli Prime Ministers, Menachem Begin and Yitzhak Shamir. Fatah, the party that had been in control of the Palestinian Authority, also had a long history of attacks against Israeli and other civilian and military targets. It is precisely the fact that Hamas has such a great involvement in the violence of the second Palestinian intifada that gives them much more ability than Fatah had to control that violence, if they wish to do so.
Does this vote mean that Palestinians support Islamic fundamentalism?
Not likely. Although in recent years, religion has increased in influence in the Palestinian territories, Palestinian society still has a very strong secular element. While Hamas certainly has a sizable core of supporters, their success in this election was not due to religion, ideology or violence. Rather, it was attributable to the failure and corruption of the ruling Fatah party and to the accurate perception that Hamas was better organized and free of rampant corruption.
More than anything, this was a vote for change, and Hamas was the alternative. Beyond Fatah’s corruption, there was also the fact that Fatah’s way of doing things had gained the Palestinians nothing in their dealings with Israel. From the Palestinian point of view, the politics of Fatah failed to produce results, so why not give Hamas a chance?
Doesn’t it make sense for Israel to refuse to negotiate with terrorists?
The entire issue is phony; Israel has not been negotiating with Fatah in any real sense since the end of talks at Taba in early 2001, in the last days of Ehud Barak’s term as Prime Minister of Israel. So their refusal to talk with Hamas does not represent a change from before the election.
It is fair for Israel to push for Hamas to change their charter. But one makes peace with enemies, not with friends or even “partners.” It was not the military leaders of Hamas that got elected, but those from its political wing. The same controversy was raised a decade ago in Northern Ireland, and everyone eventually realized that the only way to move forward was to involve Sinn Fein, the Irish Republican Army’s political wing. That same pragmatic view is needed now.
It is wrong and counter-productive for Hamas to refuse to negotiate with Israel and it is wrong and counter-productive for Israel to refuse to negotiate with the legitimately elected leadership of the Palestinians.
