"Why do they hate us?" / "The Persecution of the Palestinians"
Isolationist anti-Israel conservative Pat Buchanan on the isolation of Palestinian territories since the election of Hamas:
For a textbook example of why we are hated, consider Gaza and the West Bank. There, a brutal Israeli/U.S.-led cutoff in aid has been imposed on the Palestinians for voting the wrong way in a free election.
Immediately after Hamas's victory, Israel halted the $55 million a month the Palestinian Authority received as its share of tax and customs revenue. Israel demanded Europe and the U.S. also end all aid to the PA until Hamas renounces terror, recognizes Israel, and disarms.
That is a factual, if slanted, summary. We'll set that aside, for now, though.
It raises interesting questions, though, regardless of whether or not you believe that these particular actions are unacceptable:
Is there any real way to punish a government without punishing its people?
Is it not worse to have sanctions against a non-democracy (such as North Korea, Cuba, Myanmar, Sudan, and pre-war Iraq), because then you are hurting people who did nothing wrong?
Argh, I actually agree with Pat Buchanan? I need to scrub the evil out.
While I do recognize that you have 2 very valid points, I too am frustrated by that election.
Before Hamas is even given a chance to do anything, the world has turned their back on them. Why? For being terrorists? And the PLO aren't?
Hamas represents the Palestinian people more than the PLO ever did, and any hopes of a peace of any variety in the next few decades will require working with Hamas. I doubt anyone will say otherwise.
More importantly, if the US and Europe knew that a Hamas victory was unacceptable, they shouldn't have pretended that a fair and free election was an option. They should have campaigned against Hamas, pointing out that they would be removing all funding if Hamas won. At least then you're being honest.
Posted by: Kearns on June 7, 2006 5:01 PM | permalinkNo more comments! Either someone has violated Godwin's Law, I'm tired of the discussion or, most likely, the ten-week window has closed. You can, however, contact me through email.