Saudi Arabia and Egypt say the world should give Hamas a chance. Iran says they’ll fund Hamas if the rest of the world cuts off aid.

So, we have two terror-supporting states, since Hamas is designated by the EU and the U.S. as a terrorist organization.

Sanctions, anyone?

Shyeah, right. That’ll happen.

Looks like the promise Arab/Muslim aid isn’t coming, after all. Lots of words, though.

Israel and the Western nations have demanded Hamas renounce violence and recognize Israel’s right to exist. Hamas leaders have resisted calls to moderate and said they would make up for the lost funds with new donations from Arab and Muslim nations.

That plan, however, hit a serious setback when Arab League foreign ministers failed to agree on new aid for the Palestinians. “The aid is destined for the Palestinian people and not for Hamas,” Arab League Secretary General Amr Moussa said in an appeal for donations during a meeting in Algeria that ended late Monday.

Trying to drum up support for the coming government, Hamas political leader Khaled Mashaal visited Iran, whose leaders called on Muslim nations around the world to make up the Palestinians’ budget shortfall.

“Since the divine treasures are infinite, you should not be concerned about economic issues,” the official Islamic Republic News Agency quoted Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad as telling Mashaal on Monday. “If you work for God, he will provide for you.”

So, the Arab League and OIC are mouthing empty promises, and then Hamas goes to Iran, and Gorilla Boy tells them that the Lord will provide. I’m not seeing any dollar signs in that.

The squeeze is on. The question is, who is going to break first, Israel or Hamas? CNN thinks Hamas will. Just look at this pile of crap masquerading as objective analysis. How much more anti-Israel can you spin this? And pro-Hamas. Yes. Pro-Hamas.

Hamas’ 1988 foundation charter, to say the least, is problematic. It is viciously anti-Jewish and filled with conspiracy theories.

But as one Hamas leader recently pointed out, “The charter is not the Quran … it can be changed.”

Under what circumstances?

Here is where Israel must decide whether it will pursue a policy that risks short-term gain and long-term disaster or a more nuanced form of strategic thinking.

You see, Hamas is willing to deal. It’s Israel that’s holding up negotiations by being unable to see the long-term disaster of enabling a Hamas terror authority.

The basic lesson here is that, ultimately, the march of history determines political outcomes far more than short-term policy. In Israel’s case, imposing wide-ranging economic sanctions on the Hamas-led government may ultimately play directly into the movement’s hands.

Hamas will not be under public pressure to reform the government if it can’t pay for those reforms.

The movement will seek to broaden its ties to the wider Islamic world, threatening to increase the chances that the Arab-Israeli conflict becomes less one about nations and more one about religions.

And finally, and most importantly, it is probably wrong to think that ordinary Palestinians will become more moderate if their government is isolated. The election of Hamas is a case in point.

Ordinary Palestinians are unlikely to seek solace in the less-strident Fatah party if Hamas fails to achieve diplomatic victories. There is no historic precedent that shows a people under economic siege become more moderate as a result of external pressure.

I believe the purpose of sanctions are to starve the regime. Or at least to be able to sleep with a clear conscience at night. But CNN wouldn’t know anything about that, what with holding back information that makes their totalitarian hosts look bad.

Update: Cynic points out in the comments that the economic siege of South Africa moderated the white minority to give up its power. Looks like CNN is wrong again.

Israel has taken away the perks of being a palestinian legislator.

Israel has canceled the VIP travel privileges of Palestinian Legislative Council members, barring them from enjoying unrestricted travel between the West Bank and Gaza, security officials said Tuesday. The members had their VIP-2 status removed, out of concern that the new Palestinian government will turn the Palestinian Authority into a terrorist organization.

While PA ministers continue to enjoy VIP-1 status, once a Hamas led government is established it will only be a matter of time before they will also be stripped of their privileges, the officials said.

Good.

No doubt the “pragmatists” in Hamas will react in due time. Like this one:

Abu Marzook also hinted at some possible flexibility in his party’s position. “We are facing changes and every movement will make changes according to the reality,” he said. “But there are three principles we will not compromise on: government according to the laws of the sharia (Islamic law), our right to live in Palestine, and our right to resist the occupation.”

Oh, wait. He says that talking with Israel is a waste of time.

The Hamas leader went on to say that the organization will hold negotiations with Israel the minute Israel ‘recognizes the rights of the Palestinian people and withdraws from occupied territories,” adding that negotiations with Israel under current circumstances were a “waste of time.”

Amazing how people can see flexibility where there truly is none. The above are from two different stories.

So, about that moderation: Still not seeing any.