Date: Sat, 18 Feb 2006 11:42:00 -0500 From: Marvin Gandall <marvgandall at videotron.ca> Subject: Re: [lbo-talk] RE: Dov Weisglass on the Palestinians: "We have to make them much thinner, but not enough to die'" To: LBO-Talk <lbo-talk at lbo-talk.org>
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. ************************** While some on the left and elsewhere are celebrating this Hamas victory and even suggesting it is a step in the right direction for a new state to replace Israel, I agree with you that the reality is that militarily this is not going to happen in the near future. As far as Hamas playing any kind of role in negotiations--we will see and I am personally very skeptical--the signs out of Palestine yesterday for the near future as reported in the Haaretz story I just posted to this list are not good. In the meantime, I am personally not going to get into bed with a theocratic and fascist political movement. What drives a lot of what goes on in the Middle East including in Israel and Palestine is religious and political fundamentalism with significant overlap, in some cases, with theocratic ideologies ( as well as colonial ideology in the case of the U.S.). That in my view is the real road block to a positive settlement. Given the control of the Jewish fundamentalists and their secular allies in Israel and the recent election decision in Palestine, this interminable conflict seems like it is far from a resolution.