The Hamas Government

The new shocking international development this morning was the news that Hamas had become the democratically elected government of the Palestinians, indicating for anyone who may have had their doubts (myself included) that the Palestinian people cannot possibly be committed to the peace process. Although I have never been a big fan of Israel, I agree with its decision not to work with any Palestinian-Hamas government -- it is impossible for the Israeli government to work with a Palestinian government which not only refuses to recognize its validity, but which has been actively committed to killing the Israeli people whose common good the Israeli government is responsible for protecting. It would be tantamount to the United States working with a nation whose government is controlled by al-Qaeda.

For once, I also agree with President Bush's decision not to work with the Hamas government. I believe that both the United States and the European Union should continue to view Hamas as a terrorist organization, and I don't think that any nation committed to peace and an end to terrorism should recognize the Palestinian-Hamas government. The Hamas government must be marginalized by the world in such a way that the Palestinians will realize by the time the next election comes around (or perhaps before then) that it is not feasible for Hamas to continue as their democratically elected government. The Palestinians must be forced to realize that there will be no hope for a Palestinian state or any peaceful future while their elected leaders are committed to the destruction of Israel and endless hostility toward the United States and Europe. If peace is to be had, if a Palestinian future is to be had, the Palestinians must now work for it by ousting the government that they have so foolishly elected.

To conclude, I hope that the nations which currently recognize the Palestinian government -- including Vatican City -- will sever all ties with it until such a time as Hamas is no longer in control of it. A Palestinian-Hamas government is not just a threat to Israel or to the Middle East, it is a threat to the world and it must be treated as such by all civilized peoples and their governments.

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See Also: "Living with democracy," a post written by my co-editor Michelle Strausbaugh, expressing a different view of the new Palestinian government.