The Hyperion Chronicles

The Hyperion Chronicles

[Editor’s Note: This was originally part of a HyperionX, but I wrote too much for that format. I smoothed out the rough edges, well, most of them, to make a column. Feel lucky.]

#377 Those wacky Palestinians

Can the people of Palestine be bigger idiots? (I refer to the elections last week that overwhelmingly elected Hamas, in case you’re an idiot too.)

Hamas is classified by the UN as a terrorist organization. And it ain’t just a political thing. Their stated goal is “One Palestine,” which covers all that land. Put euphemistically, they want to “push Israel into the sea.” In other words: the destruction of Israel, and everyone who lives there. They are responsible for carrying out over 60 suicide bombings in Israel in the past 20 years.

Put it this way: If Mexico elected Al Qaeda, what do you think the United States would do? Would they still cheerfully take in all visitors, and turn a blind eye to illegal immigration? (After all, someone has to pick the beets and clean the toilets, goes the thinking in state capitols behind closed doors.)

Of course they wouldn’t. They’d be pissed. At the very first sign of trouble, tanks would roll south.

Well, percentage-wise, Israel has a September 11th every few months or so, thanks mostly to the good people of Hamas. You think the Israeli people are going to be in a forgiving mood?

(I’d hate to be the guy sitting by Ariel Sharon’s bedside when he wakes up….”So, what’d I miss?”)

I know the history of Israel/Palestine is not a one-sided affair. Israeli troops can be brutal when responding to attacks. But that’s the key word: responding. If all of the Mid-East countries left Israel alone, does anyone seriously think Israel would still attack, once the perpetrators of the past were brought to justice? You know, when you attack someone, and they are stronger than you, that’s what happens. So why is it the UN has condemned Israeli military action dozens and dozens of times over the years, but never once the terrorist actions of one of the surrounding states? But I guess my disdain for the UN is a different story.

Back to Hamas. I’m fairly edumacated on the region. I understand in part why Hamas was able to win such a crushing victory over Arafat’s ruling Fatah party. In a word: Fatah was an utter failure. They couldn’t deliver on any of their promises, they couldn’t speak for the people, and they damn sure couldn’t control them.

Hamas could, to an extent. They were actually out in the community, building coalitions, educating people (indoctrinating them, but what else is new in the region?), and providing a modicum of health care where they could. From that perspective, it makes sense. After all, isn’t the maxim that all politics is local?

And let’s not forget, Arafat himself was a terrorist, before he decided to go legit, or quasi-legit. But that’s how it works in underdeveloped countries: criminals become leaders down the road. For example, the man running Kenya right now was the biggest Black-Market business man when we lived there back in the ‘70s.

But there’s a process to these things. Twenty years from now a leading Hamas Revolutionary might be able to claim he’s turned from his ways. But the most recent Hamas attack on Israel was, what, several weeks ago? Again, I bring up Al Qaeda, except it’s far worse: Israelis live under threat of attack every day, all the time.

Back in ’98 Arafat had everything he wanted at the Oslo summit. If signed and implemented, it would have been Bill Clinton’s biggest triumph, and even I would have tipped my cap, and you know how much I loathe that lecherous slime ball. But Arafat walked away. He had to know he’d never get a better deal, and he walked away.

And how his party is gone, replaced by Hamas.

Not to cast aspersions on an entire people, but they seem to truly all be idiots. One of the biggest reasons Israel hasn’t just said “enough already” and whomped on Palestine is the United States. The US government has held Israel back as much as possible, for fear that an all out war in the region (as other countries would come to Palestinian aid) would dramatically raise gas prices or—shudder!—crimp the volume altogether. No, we can’t have that, so Israel endures the affronts of terrorists so close to them without responding as they’d like to.

But George Bush and the rest of the United States government is no friend to Hamas. He’s already on the record sounding pessimistic at the chances of working with them. And there’s already rioting in the streets of Palestine, protesting the election.

I have to ask, what were the Palestinian people thinking? Israel still controls over 60% of Palestinian land. They regulate services such as water, sort of vital in the desert, you know? With Israel and possibly the US no longer protecting them, how far will the Hamas Doctrine of total destruction get?

Sadly, there is long history of the Palestinian people not having their act together. Before World War II, the land known as Palestine was not a country at all. There were some people living there, but not organized in a meaningful way.

Few people know this, but when the UN charter for Israel was made in 1947, it contained a provision for two separate countries, to exist side by side: Israel and what is now called Palestine. (Prior to WWII, when you spoke of Palestine, you were speaking of establishing a Jewish state there.)

But here we are almost 60 years later, and they still don’t have a full-fledged country. Thousands of Palestinians have been kicked out of countries like Syria and Jordan on more than one occasion. The rest of the Middle East countries don’t like the people at all. That they hate Israel worse is the only protection they’ve had.

And this brings us back to Hamas. Is it possible Hamas will walk away from violence and try to negotiate a fair an equitable peace with Israel, assuming the county will ever deal with them? I suppose. Sinn Fein did put down their weapons eventually (although they always had a strong political face, not to mention legendary fund-raising powers in America).

But I don’t consider that likely. (I saw the leader of Hamas on CNN last night, and he talked about building an Army. Joy.) The future looks scary. Palestine is one of the poorest areas in the world. They’ve been ineptly led from Day 1, squandering opportunities and perpetuating behavior that only increased their wretched poverty and misery.

And they might have just topped themselves.

Hyperion
January 30, 2006