Tuesday, October 25, 2005
Hamas and the American Veto
Al Quds Al Arabi, a Palestinian-owned, independent pan-Arab newspaper, reported on October 24 that: “The lifting of the American veto off the participation of the Islamic resistance movement Hamas may be the result of the visit of President Mahmoud Abbas to Washington and his meeting with American President George Bush, if it was not the only achievement. President Bush did not object to discriminatory isolating wall, and did not call for the ending of the Israeli settlement activities around Jerusalem, in the strong way that was expected, but he showed some flexibility towards the participation of Hamas in the upcoming Palestinian legislative elections.
“This American attitude was not expected, and it may be the only exception, since the current American administration got us used to [their] support for all the Israeli positions without debate.
“Maybe this position is due to the increasing Arab criticisms of the American understanding of democracy. Any objection to the participation of Hamas in the legislative elections scheduled for January means that the Palestinian elections, will be similar to their Iraqi counterparts, i.e., without representation of a large portion of the Palestinian people in the next legislative council. That is why it will be a paralyzed council with no value and having no legitimacy.
“Any Palestinian elections without the effective participation of all the Palestinian forces and Hamas in particular, will have its results close to appointments which are used in dictator states, i.e., a parliament of one color. It is clear that the current American administration learned its lessons from its failed experiment in Iraq, and decided not to fall into the same errors in the occupied Palestine.”
The article continues: “The question currently asked is about the credibility of the sudden American position? Will the administration hang on to it for a long time, and accept a Palestinian parliament which includes a majority of independents and representatives of Hamas, and other extremist Fatah elements, especially those sympathizing or represented by the Aqsa Martyrs?
“It is clear that the US administration found no other choice but to not object to the participation of Hamas in the elections, after it abandoned its promises of establishing a Palestinian state before the end of the second term of President Bush. It is not reasonable to drop the choice of a state and interfere in the Palestinian elections and its results at the same time, because if it did, it would embarrass President Abbas and put him in a very awkward situation.
“It seems that the Israeli government realized the seriousness of the Bush administration in this matter, and that is why it abandoned its rejection to the participation of Hamas in the elections, and gave up its threats of obstructing them.
"The Al Quds Al Arabi article concluded by saying: “These are Israeli and American positions that raise suspicions and anxiety, and it is not far fetched that there is plan to forge the elections or interfere in them in a way that will have its results totally opposite to reality. What justifies these fears is what is going on in Iraq. After a week from voting on the constitution, the results still await announcement, i.e., voting in one day and counting votes in eight days. That is the American democracy.” -
Al Quds Al-Arabi translated http://www.mideastwire.com
“This American attitude was not expected, and it may be the only exception, since the current American administration got us used to [their] support for all the Israeli positions without debate.
“Maybe this position is due to the increasing Arab criticisms of the American understanding of democracy. Any objection to the participation of Hamas in the legislative elections scheduled for January means that the Palestinian elections, will be similar to their Iraqi counterparts, i.e., without representation of a large portion of the Palestinian people in the next legislative council. That is why it will be a paralyzed council with no value and having no legitimacy.
“Any Palestinian elections without the effective participation of all the Palestinian forces and Hamas in particular, will have its results close to appointments which are used in dictator states, i.e., a parliament of one color. It is clear that the current American administration learned its lessons from its failed experiment in Iraq, and decided not to fall into the same errors in the occupied Palestine.”
The article continues: “The question currently asked is about the credibility of the sudden American position? Will the administration hang on to it for a long time, and accept a Palestinian parliament which includes a majority of independents and representatives of Hamas, and other extremist Fatah elements, especially those sympathizing or represented by the Aqsa Martyrs?
“It is clear that the US administration found no other choice but to not object to the participation of Hamas in the elections, after it abandoned its promises of establishing a Palestinian state before the end of the second term of President Bush. It is not reasonable to drop the choice of a state and interfere in the Palestinian elections and its results at the same time, because if it did, it would embarrass President Abbas and put him in a very awkward situation.
“It seems that the Israeli government realized the seriousness of the Bush administration in this matter, and that is why it abandoned its rejection to the participation of Hamas in the elections, and gave up its threats of obstructing them.
"The Al Quds Al Arabi article concluded by saying: “These are Israeli and American positions that raise suspicions and anxiety, and it is not far fetched that there is plan to forge the elections or interfere in them in a way that will have its results totally opposite to reality. What justifies these fears is what is going on in Iraq. After a week from voting on the constitution, the results still await announcement, i.e., voting in one day and counting votes in eight days. That is the American democracy.” -
Al Quds Al-Arabi translated http://www.mideastwire.com
