Free Republic

Can anyone be surprised Palestinians went against the status quo this week in their historic election? The success of Hamas in the Palestinian elections shocked many analysts but appeared inevitable to those who were watching closely. Fatah has long been discredited by corruption and general mismanagement. Israeli unilateralism and the mainstreaming of Sharon as a peace hero in the face of a helpless P.A. was bound to cause Palestinian protest at the ballot box. American silence has allowed Israel to take more land, build more settlements, and construct the aberration Palestinians know as the Apartheid Wall. The light at the...

DETROIT — Democratic presidential candidate Howard Dean of Vermont supports a two-state solution with Israelis and Palestinians living side by side, but says a comprehensive peace plan will only come through sacrifice and commitment by the leadership on both sides. An American president brokering such a deal would go a long way toward improving U.S.-Arab relations, Dean told about 200 people on the second day of the Arab American Institute’s National Leadership Conference on Saturday. The former Vermont governor said the U.S. needs to help build economic opportunity in the West Bank, and both sides must learn they can be...