Recognising Israel 'is up to the people'

[bemildred]

Hamas's draft government programme has left the question of recognising Israel to the Palestinian people - leaving the door open for a possible referendum.

Hamas published a draft of its government programme on its website on Saturday.

The fifth article in the programme says: "The question of recognising Israel is not the jurisdiction of one faction, nor the government, but a decision for the Palestinian people."

Handing the issue over to a popular referendum would neatly disengage Hamas from being labelled as a hardline movement that refuses to recognise Israel on ideological grounds.

al Jazeera

[mikehiggins]

1. Why does intelligence surprise us?

Do we really think the Hamas people are simply a bunch of thugs with no political sophistication whatsoever? The fact that most of us find them horrific and beyond despicable shouldn't blind us to the fact that there are a lot of intelligent people who support their jihad against Israel. This last gambit is clever, and especially so in these days of "democracy on the march."

How can the US object if a referendum shows the majority of Palestinians think the "long war" against Israel is just fine with them? About all we can do to influence such a vote is donate a lot of Diebold voting machines to Hamas, in the hopes that THEY will be stupid enough to use them.

Dismissing the abilities of people who are not like us is a point of view most often based in racism, something the Bushoids are very familiar (and comfortable) with.

[bemildred]

2. Indeed. Racism makes you stupid.

Because it is wrong. Humans are as alike a peas in a pod, and those other fellows, however much you dislike them, are just as sharp as you and your friends, if not smarter.

[pelsar]

3. they are smart..and sophisticated...

and religious fanatics (much like the taliban and iranian govt....)......one does not preclude the other.

oh and they 're racist as well (just check out the hamas charter-oozing with racism)

[Coastie for Truth]

4. Which means the proles will be whipped up to a frenzy

not to recognize Israel...

EVEN in the US, Pat Roberts, Jerry Falwell, James Dobson, and Karl Rove were able to whip up support for Idiot Son until very recently - at a cost of how many dead in Katrina, and over 2300 US dead in Iraq -- for oil, Carlyle, and Halliburton -----and to over turn Roe and ban abortions.

[pelsar]

5. manipulation of the "masses"

is actually quite common.......group think, peer pressure, internal propaganda....it wouldnt be hard for Hamas to get the answer they "want" from the "people"

[Coastie for Truth]

6. Karl Rove did it here

and Bushie picked up seats in Congress in 2002; and he got Justice Alito confirmed; and South Dakota banned abortions; and Mississippi is headed in the same direction.

[Igel]

7. It doesn't neatly disengage Hamas.

It allows them to disengage from the issue; the disengagement then becomes the issue, and shows them in no better light.

For surely *every* decision that a government takes, from placing stop signs to levying tarifs and taxes to debating a bill in parliament is a decision that, ultimately, rests with the people. Whether or not to adopt a certain provision of shari'a, or to abide by a provision of the Geneva Convention, is a decision by the people. Deciding to launch an attack on behalf of the people of Palestine, one that could easily (and properly) trigger a counterattack, is surely a declaration of war that should be left to referendum. Picking and suddenly finding principles based on convenience has seldom been the sign of Hamas, unless only cheaply held principles are at stake.

On the other hand, many governments have had balls and shown leadership, taking principled decisions that conflicted with the desire of the majority of the population at the time the decision was taken. They then convince their populations that the decision was correct.

Hamas is showing itself to be a wimp, passing the buck, instead of engaging the issue. Gotta have those western dollars and euros.