Wednesday May 4, 2005

I've Been Thinking:

Hamas, the terrorist organization, wants to run in the Palestinian national election for parliament.

Palestinian Prime Minister Mahmoud Abbas has no problem with that.
Abbas wants Hamas "inside" in order to try to co-opt them and force them into the mainstream political spectrum of Palestinian politics.
Abbas has announced the implementation of referenda to determine final status issues. He hopes the referendum will isolate the extremists and relieves Abbas of responsibility for these decisions.

Here is the problem.
Hamas has yet to renounce terror and violence.
Hamas refuses to give up their arms.

Both President Bush and Prime Minister Sharon have stated repeatedly that democracy cannot work hand in hand with armed militias.
Democracy and armed militias are diametric opposites.
How can the continued use of weapons and violence and terror be justified by not only Hamas but also by Abbas?

Hamas has yet to adopt the principle of coexistence and living side by side with Israelis.
Abbas has yet to figure out if he intends to take a stand against Hamas and, if so, how to physically disarm them.
This is a problem, a big problem.