Today’s main editorial in the Washington Post concludes with a hard-line stance on Hamas’ involvement in the PA:
The Islamists no doubt will seek to construct a coalition that could continue to attract international aid — without which the Palestinian Authority would collapse — while evading compromises on Hamas’s militia or ideology.
Even if Fatah consents to this strategy, Western governments should not. Instead, they should stick to the principle already articulated by the so-called Quartet of peace process sponsors, which includes the European Union, the United Nations and Russia, as well as the Bush administration: that “a future Palestinian Authority cabinet should include no member who has not committed to the principles of Israel’s right to exist in peace and security and an unequivocal end to violence and terrorism.” If Hamas will not meet that condition, then it should be condemned to governing Gaza and the West Bank in diplomatic isolation, without European, U.S. or World Bank aid. The Islamists must be forced to choose between democracy and terrorism; between their ideology and the yearning of Palestinians for security, good government and a state of their own.
Fine. I will take them at their word, and leave this here for future reference–to return to when the WaPo starts saying that Hamas has “reformed” and it’s time to deal with the “democratically elected” government of the palestinians.
Hmm… Sounds strange, unlike the good ole WaPo I remember.
The Post still doesn’t get it. The issue isn’t “Israel’s right to exist,” but “Israel’s right to exist as a Jewish state.” The reason the proposition is not stated this way is that it would expose the hypocrisy of the entire peace process. The Road Map itself contains no such stipulation, for the simple reason that it would never have gotten off the ground if it had.
It won’t be hard to find a watered-down wording that HAMAS can sign on to. But nobody in the PRESENT PA government, including President Abbas, would concede Israel’s right to exist as a Jewish state.