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| Israel-Palestine-Jordan |
| Fisking of the Hamas Platform |
| 2006-03-14 |
| YNet Alan D. Abbey Hamas platform seems rational, but... Reason? What's that? Will new Palestinian leaders actually play politics and not war? Israeli political leaders have been struggling with how to deal with the new Palestinian bosses since the election that brought Hamas a majority in the Palestinian legislature. So far, the general stance has been to say Hamas remains a terrorist group, and we won't deal with them. Now, Hamas has officially stated a nine-point platform, so we have something to respond to besides the rantings and ravings of its leaders. Ynetnews was good enough to provide us with a full translation, which you can find here . I'll summarize them below, with my point-by-point response. 1. Expulsion of the occupation and the establishment of a sovereign independent Palestinian state with Jerusalem as its capital. - I don't have any real argument with a Palestinian state, although I could cite chapter and verse as to why there is no "occupation" in a truly legal sense. Jerusalem as your capital? It all depends on what you mean by Jerusalem, doesn't it? Would you actually sit on a joint Israeli-Palestinian council that determined such vital issues as garbage collection, community parks and sewage lines, the real tachlis (details) of local government in an expanded, open Jerusalem. 2. A commitment to the right of return of Palestinians to their homes and property. - Sorry, fellows. You can't have it both ways: if you want a Palestinian state, you can't also have ours. A real "right of return" would mean the swamping and eventual obliteration of the Jewish state. So, take the Palestinian state. Reparations? Sure. We'll get the Quartet to pay. Some family reunifications? Sure. The return of more than a million so-called refugees to their so-called former homes? Not a chance. 3. Resistance in all its forms is a legitimate right of the Palestinian people in its path to put an end to the occupation and the reinstatement of its national rights. - "In all its forms?" Do you mean in all legal, peaceful forums? Sure. Hell no! With screamers in green garb holding AKs and waving black flags Do you mean suicide bombings, knifings, terror attacks and the like? Not legitimate. They never were, and will be resisted not only by all Israel, but by all civilized countries (we hope). Occupation? See No. 1 above. (6 more in link) |
| Posted by:Listen To Dogs |
| #1 Given that when Hamas says Occupation, they aren't referring to just the West Bank and Gaza, but also to Israel proper, that first point cannot be accepted as it stands. Mr. Abbey refuses to notice that this is not a call for two States, but only one: Jew-free Palestine. Fool or tool? I don't think it really matters. |
| Posted by: trailing wife 2006-03-14 13:34 |