Why Can't America Just Get Along with Hamas?
Op-Ed piece
March, 2006.
Why Can’t We Just Get Along With Hamas?
The US is accustomed to the idea of working with terrorists. Look at Libyan
General Moammar Kadafi – earlier, terrorist numero uno, and now, best friend forever1.
So why can’t we get along with Hamas? The US government supports the Palestinian
Fatah party, even though several of its factions have been openly associated with acts of terrorism. It seems like the US has gotten over that minor detail. So is it just a matter of time until Hamas can be accepted into the loop also?
There seem to be two ways by which terrorists can be forgiven by the west: either they should get their act together and become allies with the US – like Kadafi did; or they should make terrorist factions within their parties and pretend as if they’re not associated with them – like Fatah does. Hamas can choose any of the above methods to “fit in.”
In fact, the process of accepting Hamas has begun already. According to the New
York Times, diplomats are “trying to come up with a set of words that could make Hamas a more acceptable client.2” Instead of giving direct aid to the Palestinian Authority (PA), the US and the European Commission are willing to give indirect humanitarian aid to the
Palestinian people.
However, it is essential to realize that Hamas is not like other organizations that have a purely violent agenda. The difference is that Hamas offers a better lifestyle to the average Palestinian. Minus its militant factions, the fact is that towns under the leadership
1 LA Times Online, “How Kadafi Went From Foe to Ally,” September 4, 2005. http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/world/la-fg-uslibya4sep04,0,2925389.story?coll=la-totpromo& track=pacifictime
2 The New York Times, “Hamas, a Policy Puzzle of the West” Wednesday, February 1, 2006. pg A12.
Afshan Khoja 2 of Hamas, as reported by Time magazine, have been better off than those under Fatah3.
The PA and Fatah have left Palestine in
March, 2006.
Why Can’t We Just Get Along With Hamas?
The US is accustomed to the idea of working with terrorists. Look at Libyan
General Moammar Kadafi – earlier, terrorist numero uno, and now, best friend forever1.
So why can’t we get along with Hamas? The US government supports the Palestinian
Fatah party, even though several of its factions have been openly associated with acts of terrorism. It seems like the US has gotten over that minor detail. So is it just a matter of time until Hamas can be accepted into the loop also?
There seem to be two ways by which terrorists can be forgiven by the west: either they should get their act together and become allies with the US – like Kadafi did; or they should make terrorist factions within their parties and pretend as if they’re not associated with them – like Fatah does. Hamas can choose any of the above methods to “fit in.”
In fact, the process of accepting Hamas has begun already. According to the New
York Times, diplomats are “trying to come up with a set of words that could make Hamas a more acceptable client.2” Instead of giving direct aid to the Palestinian Authority (PA), the US and the European Commission are willing to give indirect humanitarian aid to the
Palestinian people.
However, it is essential to realize that Hamas is not like other organizations that have a purely violent agenda. The difference is that Hamas offers a better lifestyle to the average Palestinian. Minus its militant factions, the fact is that towns under the leadership
1 LA Times Online, “How Kadafi Went From Foe to Ally,” September 4, 2005. http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/world/la-fg-uslibya4sep04,0,2925389.story?coll=la-totpromo& track=pacifictime
2 The New York Times, “Hamas, a Policy Puzzle of the West” Wednesday, February 1, 2006. pg A12.
Afshan Khoja 2 of Hamas, as reported by Time magazine, have been better off than those under Fatah3.
The PA and Fatah have left Palestine in