Skip to Content, Navigation, or Footer.

Opinions: Who forgot to invite Hamas?


The Annapolis peace talks have begun hopefully. Participating are a laundry list of nations with few direct ties to the conflict: Brazil, China, and South Africa, for instance.

But if we're planning a Palestinian peace conference, who invites Poland but leaves out Hamas?

The conference operates under the pretense that Palestine is united under President Mahmoud Abbas. In fact, there are two Palestinian governments. Fatah, Western-backed and led by Mahmoud Abbas, operates from the West Bank. The terrorist organization Hamas rules in the Gaza strip. The two groups have been fighting one another for control of the Palestinian state since 2006, when Hamas won the popular vote, but Fatah refused to give up power.

Abbas is in Annapolis, warmly shaking hands with Israeli Prime Minister Olmert, while Hamas simmers angrily in Gaza. Perhaps Abbas thinks that by ignoring Hamas, he can make them go away.

This isn't to say that Hamas is a better choice than Fatah to lead Palestine. I don't like Hamas; not even Human Rights Watch likes Hamas. Quixotic and shortsighted, electing these idiots was undoubtedly the worst decision the Palestinian people have made since refusing the UN partition plan 60 years ago.

Hamas' brief rule was a low point in Palestine's history, marred by a train wreck of a foreign policy — the U.S., EU, and Japan all refused to deal with Hamas, as it is a terrorist organization.

The point remains, however, that the Palestinians did elect Hamas. Any peace talks ought to recognize this fact on both moral and practical grounds.

Politically, playing puppetmaster by supporting Abbas over his rivals smacks of propping up the Diem regime in South Vietnam. Abbas may or may not be the right leader for his people; the only reason the U.S. supports him is because he is more willing than most to deal with the West. Intervening in a nation's private political affairs is dangerous, dirty, and always suspect.

Practically, we must keep in mind that even though Hamas is an international pariah, many Palestinians support it.

In response to Annapolis, Hamas organized a demonstration of 100,000 angry citizens in Gaza. Fatah may have superiority in the West Bank, but the battle is by no means over; Hamas is a powerful force in Palestinian politics. About six in 10 Palestinians view Hamas favorably, mostly for the work the organization has done in establishing infrastructure.

Perhaps it was a given that Hamas would never get into the conference. Its charter states, "There is no solution for the Palestinian Question except through jihad," so in that sense, it's already taken itself out of the proceedings. Hamas has pledged to continue the struggle until the Jews are pushed into the sea.

If that's the case — if Hamas will indeed never negotiate with Israel — then perhaps it's wishful thinking to bother inviting them to the conference. That doesn't mean one can simply forget about them, however. Just as a Jew assassinated Yitzhak Rabin, Hamas and its hardcore supporters may sink their own people's chance for peace.

Seth Pate remembers the Hamas kid's show in which the Jews kill Mickey Mouse for his land. Thanks for that, Hamas. Disagree with him at spate@asu.edu.


Continue supporting student journalism and donate to The State Press today.

Subscribe to Pressing Matters



×

Notice

This website uses cookies to make your experience better and easier. By using this website you consent to our use of cookies. For more information, please see our Cookie Policy.