As the Palestinians led up to their elections recently, the United States government repeatedly stated that it would have no dealings with Hamas, regardless of the outcome. As the election neared and Hamas looked more and more like they would make significant gains, we eased up a smidgen, spelling out exactly what Hamas would have to say — and more importantly, do — to win some modicum of recognition.
Well, Hamas did more than make significant gains — they won the elections outright. And instead of moderating their stance with their newfound responsibilities, they kept the same hard line that they believe won them the elections.
And lo and behold, the US government is keeping its word. We are ending our funding of the Palestinian Authority (which last year alone totalled over a quarter of a billion dollars) and will re-evaluate matters once Hamas starts acting like a semi-civilized, responsible party. (Frankly, I’m not holding my breath.)
This has a great many folks in a dither. What, the United States actually MEANT what it said? And is going to actually CARRY OUT what it said it would do? Why, the nerve!
Defenders of the programs being threatened tout all the potential benefits that will be lost if we actually carry out these actions. But looking at their list, I find myself wondering: we’ve been doing these for a long time, and I haven’t seen one positive thing for the US come out of it. In fact, I recall video on CNN of Palestinians in the streets celebrating the 9/11 attacks, praising Bin Laden, and cheering on American deaths.
The one objection that really strikes me as almost funny is the proclamation that this could prevent any Palestinians from receiving Fulbright scholarships. Apparently few people remember back in October 2003, when Palestinians blew up a convoy of US diplomats and other officials who were on their way to interview potential Fulbright scholars, killing three Americans.
The people of Palestine have spoken. They have chosen Hamas, and Hamas has chosen to continue its hard line and insistence on the destruction of Israel. We should under no circumstances protect them from the consequences of their decisions.
Well put. We’d be nuts giving these bastards a nickel in future.
They don’t need aid anymore anyway. They have those green houses to work in and grow food to eat and sell. Oh yeah, they burned and looted them.
I guess they better learn to fish.
Hear hear…now lets see if the Pres really follows through with it and totally defunds Hamas. Then we can move to defund the UN!
We should under no circumstances protect them from the consequences of their decisions. The rather draconian attitude of “DROP DEAD, PALESTINE” that Jay advocates as a result of their majority decision to vote in Hamas seems in apparent contradiction to what the President said in his press conference immediately after the Palestinian election ,in late January:
“The people were not happy with the status quo. The people are demanding honest government. The people want services. They want to be able to raise their children in an environment in which they can get a decent education and they can find health care.
And so the elections should open the eyes of the old guard there in the Palestinian territories. I like the competition of ideas. I like people who have to go out and say, vote for me, and here’s what I’m going to do. There’s something healthy about a system that does that. ( before)..on the other hand.”
Since Bush was pushing so hard for the inclusion of Hamas, in that recent election, over Fatah and Israeli objections, I think we must hold our noses (for a decent interval) even though Hamas regards its own manichean solution to most of the problems and here I definitely agree with Jay, as “Death to I…” ; well, you can fill in the blanks.
Wait guys… shouldn’t a democratically elected Hamas be above reproach?
Seriously though, I agree with you. The US should not be funding Hamas or Fatah. And while we’re at it, we shouldn’t be funding Israel either.
If our real goal is to get this roadmap towards a two state solution going, funding the governments of both sides when they’re both eagerly throwing stumbling blocks into the process to appear tough is counterproductive.
Fatah (and now Hamas) and Likud (and now Kadima) are two sides of the same coin, and it’s a coin that’s kept Israel and Palestine at war for half a century.
“I guess they better learn to fish”.
I agree, so let’s give them some tips about fishing. The first one would be to swim within a few feet of the desired fish before detonating the explosive belt.
“Mohamed, if you don’t stop killing Jews and blowing up pizza palors, I will take away your allowance.”
Jason, if the US is going to cease funding Israel then we better stop funding Egypt, Saudis, Pakistan and every other G-ddamned state. Israel at least helps us fight the war on Terror by training our troops in urban warfare and urban search and rescue. Egypt just continually slams the US in their state run newspapers. But, if we do stop funding Israel we should allow Israel to declare war on the Palestinian state and fully annex any territory it takes onces the next act of war (Rocket launching) takes place.
Jay Tea, you wrote: “I recall video on CNN of Palestinians in the streets celebrating the 9/11 attacks, praising Bin Laden, and cheering on American deaths.” http://www.whatreallyhappened.com/fiveisraelis.html
BryanD, you appear to have placed the wrong link. The link you provided is to a lunatic conspiracy theory site screaming “it’s the jooo’s!”
You probably meant this link.
Hmmmm.
It’s idiot nonsense like that makes American jews that vote for Democrats look like fools.
John Irving, No, I had the right link. I could have used others but this one was footnoted with links to primary sources not unfamiliar to your average couch potato: Fox, ABC, etc. plus the “jooos” at Ha’aretz. (Footnotes are our friends!) And while it doesn’t contradict directly what the Palestinians may or may not have done viz a viz Israel, it does illustrate what the Israeli government and Mossad is willing and able and , in the wake of 9/11, DID do to villify the Palestians, and confuse the American public. And ON AMERICAN SOIL! Happily, they were busted. Unhappily, they were quietly released (and with “friends” like these, who needs enemies!) __Now, about that site (Snopes) that you rely on. I understand why the MSM cites it so much. Not that it’s wrong, per se; it’s just that there are so many glaring entry-ommissions. I typed “JFK assasination”(THE litmus test!) and it came up blank!! Even to say “Oswald did it” is SOMETHING (though so very, very wrong it would be!–Oh! it does infer this via its Lincoln-Kennedy coincidence page–WRONG!!__yawn!) Hey, J.I.!___Snopes is basically a kids’ site! For cramming tomorrow”s book report or show-and-tell or—something(?) Strictly fast-food! Learn to Google better but remember: With Knowledge Comes Much Sorrow yet The Truth Shall Make You Free!
No, I had the right link
Oooooo-kay.
Hmmm.
Amen.
“With Knowledge Comes Much Sorrow yet The Truth Shall Make You Free!”
BryanD – we are all free to seek our own knowledge and our own truth. Regrettably, folks who find your kind of “knowledge” have a regrettable tendency to merge “truth” with “fact.”
And while you may be entitled to your own truth, you are not entitled to your own facts. And since Snopes only puts things up that it can verify through objective sources, it is instructive that you would deride it as “strictly fast-food.” However, do not be offended if we choose not to dine on some of the stuff that you’re attempting to feed us.
However, if you insist on living on the planet of Badgeman-on-the-Grass-Knoll and the Mossad evacuation of “the jooos” on Black Tuesday, then by all means do so. Just make sure you tighten down the seals on that tinfoil hat – it gets blustery up there.
JD, you said: “BryanD – we are all free to seek our…own truth.”——-I SAY: JD, you had better be a girl and you had better be good-lookin’!
BryanD – That was one of the best non-sequiturs I’ve ever seen on Wizbang.
Try again. With facts this time.
JD, thanks for the compliment. Of course there’s not much competition but wudyagonnadoo. I posted my link which is chock full of contemporaneous sources so read it if you haven’t already. Now what’s this about Truth and Facts being seperate. Sounds New-Agey or Public Schooley or Kabbalah-wallah to me. P.S. Do you own a dictionary?
Oh, and I’ll have three scrambled eggs in the morning. And bacon. Well done.
…now back to our regularly scheduled program…
It’s really too bad that the US can’t do with it’s aid what the commander of the Army base in Biloxi supposedly did, way back when, with the payroll. (I’ve heard this supposed to be other places than Biloxi but I heard it while stationed in Biloxi, so maybe it’s even true.)
The story goes that the local businesses and other important people didn’t like the Army. So the commander had the payroll delivered in silver dollars. The business owners had no way of denying where their money was coming from when the soldiers were paying their rent, buying groceries, everything, with silver dollars.
Too bad we can’t deliver our foreign aid in silver dollars.
Hmmmm
You might be on to something Synova. Imagine that all of the US aid dollars were printed with a red border, or something like that. A fully accepted currency, worth just as much on US soil as the regular greenback. But it would be interesting to see where they turn up after a year or two.
Maybe give the Palestinian authority their own green and red striped border. Then see how many of those bills show up in the pockets of arms dealers, or the like.
OF course, soon after that starts to happen, some enterprising middle man will exchange the aid dollars for real ones for a hefty cut… but it will still reduce the utility of such currency to the less than virtous among the aid crowd.