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Hamas rally - green power
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Green revolution

Whatever happens Wednesday, Hamas is big winner in PA elections

It doesn't matter if Hamas wins a majority in elections for the Palestinian Legislative Council this week, or if Fatah squeaks out a tiny victory. Either way, and even before knowing the election results – Hamas has already won.

 

In other words, the Palestinian "Green Revolution" has already begun.

 

Hamas will be the big winner in these elections: The terrorist group enjoys, and will continue to enjoy, full legitimization on the Palestinian street, the Arab world (including Egypt, a country that knows all-too-well the dangers inherent in the Moslem Brotherhood), partial legitimacy in Europe and even the Americans will be forced to agree one way or another to Hamas participation in government.

 

President Bush and Secretary of State Rice are the principal patrons of the Palestinian elections. They have done so as part of their doctrine of liberalization and democratization, the White House's new prescription for the Arab world, without understanding the processes that Palestinian society has undergone and without understanding the dangers inherent in fundamentalist Islam.

 

Hamas gained victory not because Palestinian society has been Islamicized, or because anyone really misses Sheikh Ahmed Yassin or Abdel Aziz Rantissi, but rather because of a protest vote against the Palestinian Authority.

 

This protest is against corruption, anarchy, lack of action on the part of Palestinian leader Abbas and the security forces, and because of a lack of personal and economic security under an Authority that doesn't even try to enforce the law, but agreed to democratic elections.

 

Hamas does not believe in democracy. Rather, it is taking advantage of the democratic process to seize power and then, according to its election platform, to institutionalize Islamic law (Sharia).

 

Hamas leaders now wear suits

 

In order to reach this goal Hamas has used all means available to blur this extremist message, including the section that defines armed struggle against Israel as a strategy.

 

The wolf has also been wearing an additional white sheep's sweater: it has laid down its arms in recent months and distanced itself from terrorism. Group leaders now wear suits and ties, speak softly about social programs, about education and about a war on corruption.

 

The Palestinian public is enthralled, the West has started to speak about a "new Hamas", and even Israel has started to speak about a different Hamas. We've all been fooled.

 

Mahmoud Abbas knows the truth. He is the great loser of this election. Even if Hamas receives only 35 percent of the vote, he will be force to include them in his government. Just imagine the Islamic, anti-Semitic and anti-Israeli textbooks a Hamas-run education ministry would produce.

 

But if he does not include them, they will return to terrorism, and Jewish blood will be their main weapon against Abbas.

 

Israel and the European Union are trapped, for it is now too late. The process is in full swing. The genie is out of the bottle.

 

The morning after elections will be much greener, yet hese elections won't bring good things for the Palestinians, and certainly not for Israel.

 

Roni Shaked is a journalist and commentator for Israel's leading newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth

פרסום ראשון: 01.22.06, 18:18
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