> I do wonder, however, what kind of a positive outcome will happen if Hamas
> gets its wish. That is, what would be the positive outcome of a
> theocratic Islamic state to replace Israel based along the lines of the
> Hamas charter?
------------------------------------------
They would have to go through the Israeli and, ultimately, the US armed
forces before this proposition could be tested, which is the main reason why
these fears are so far-fetched. The Six Nations Confederacy has about the
same chance of retaking the Eastern seaboard.
Over time and assuming there is an Israeli interest in a permanent peace settlement which ultimately ends the interminable war with the Palestinians (one which would likely sanction its new unilateral border in exhange for some concessions on refugee compensation, trade and investment, land corridors, and East Jerusalem), Hamas could well play a role analogous to that played by Sinn Fein in Northern Ireland after both sides had similarly exhausted themselves.
But this depends on how things play out in Iraq and Iran. Those situations will much more determine the future relationship between the two parties than their own bloody history, paper charters, and current skirmishing.