Posted on 01/29/2006 1:16:44 PM PST by Clive
EDITORIAL: Why Hamas must not be recognized
Prime minister-elect Stephen Harper responded exactly as he should have to last week’s shocking victory of the terrorist group Hamas in the Palestinian elections.
He said Canada “supports a secure Israel and a democratic Palestine. But for a nation to be truly democratic, that nation must renounce the use of terrorism.”
Precisely. It is Harper’s now-defunct Alliance party that Canadians have to thank for this sensible view. The Alliance succeeded in pressuring the previous Liberal government in 2002 to declare Hamas a terrorist organization.
Prior to that, the Liberals couldn’t bring themselves do it, despite the following realities:
Before agreeing to a temporary truce last year, Hamas murdered 430 Israelis in more than 50 suicide bombings between 2000 and 2005.
The 1988 Hamas charter explicitly calls for the destruction of Israel and its replacement by an Islamic state, plus the annihilation of the Jewish people, unless they are prepared to submit to Islamic rule.
The charter is riddled with vicious anti-Semitism and hateful accusations against the Jewish people.
Some observers of last week’s vote argued the Palestinians, in electing Hamas to 76 of the 132 seats on their legislative council, were protesting the corruption of the defeated Fatah party and its failure to provide decent social services.
We think that’s a convenient way of avoiding the obvious.
What’s obvious is that many Palestinians voted for Hamas not in spite of the fact it is an anti-Semitic, terrorist organization committed to the destruction of Israel, but rather because of it. Simply put, many Palestinians hate Israel, and they hate Jews.
From their point of view, it’s a justified hatred because they see the Israelis — Jewish Israelis — as occupiers and oppressors. Many view suicide bombing as the only way they can respond to Israeli tanks and fighter jets.
The root problem, however, is that Hamas has never supported what countries like Canada say they want for the Mideast — a secure Israel living beside a democratic Palestine.
Hamas wants Israel to be Palestine — either rid of Jews, or with Jews subject to Islamic rule. And Hamas doesn’t want democracy. It wants a totalitarian Islamic state.
Some pundits argue U.S. President George Bush now has no choice but to recognize Hamas as the representative of the Palestinian people because it was elected by the democratic process he supports for the Mideast.
But recognizing Hamas isn’t the issue. The issue is whether there is any point in negotiating with Hamas, and the answer is no.
Not until Hamas renounces terrorism and recognizes Israel’s right to exist.
It’s true that Palestinian voters made the choice to support Hamas in a democratic election.
What’s also true is that such decisions have consequences.
Now Canada and other nations must make their choice about how to respond.
In our view, there can be no other response than to isolate Hamas, until it accepts Israel’s right to exist.
It seems the Pali slime can't grasp the concept of cause and effect.
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Second or third editorial posted which seems to indicate the Canadians get it.
I'd like to know why we give Pakistan $250 MILLION dollars every year. And since Frist says they won't get it this year....why can't we put that towards our debt...or better yet....split that amoung every American....
Hopefully the beginning of a consensus in the West that has no illusions about Hamas and Ahmadinejad...they are our mortal enemies and will be until we take them out.
Oh, let's recognize them as a duly elected government. Now their crap is clearly, unambiguously STATE-SPONSORED TERRORISM. We know who they are, we know who to kill, we know who to go to war against.
And, as a government, it's perfectly legal to hold them accountable at the end of another nation's military spear.
Warning! This is a high-volume ping list.
Jimmy Carter and Gerry Adams (Sinn Fein / IRA) are sympathizers and terrorists in their own right. At least Israel has an open enemy. The Pali buffoons have shown the world what utter fools they are.
Jimmy showed how adept he was at dealing with the Iranians. We need another Reagan to show the world how these people are to be dealt with.
Bravo to Harper for his clarity.
Think about it. How many people in this country? And we give Pakistan $250 'Million' dollars a YEAR? That's alot per US citizen.
yea about one per US citizen
Today's population clock (source: US Census) 298,001,665
$250 million dollars per year / 298 million = less than $1 per person...
Yes, you can keep my dollar.
I get about 1.19 per person.....but I'll take both of yours and anyone else that doesn't care about their dollars....and throw in your wifes and kids too since you don't seem to care :)
Ditto on the author's thoughts, and I hope Sec. Rice takes the time to read this piece. The Administration has been doing a lot of backpedaling since Condi became Sec. of State. Someone needs to remind her that this isn't the George H Bush Presidency, and this isn't the early 1990'S. Our homeland has been hit, yet we are now legitimizing Hama's [terrorists] right to govern by allow talks where they are one of the parties in the talks.
Hamas? Sorry, never seen them before in my life.
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