Egyptian and US mediators have reported signs of compromise in recent days and Egyptian state news channel Al-Qahera said on Saturday that a consensus had been reached in the indirect talks over many of the disputed points but gave no further details. However, many analysts remain pessimistic after five months of stop-start talks that have frequently broken down
Belgium in WW1, France and Greece during WW2, Spain during Franco, and I’m sure there are others… It isn’t that uncommon. I’m not suggesting the UN occupies Gaza permanently, but Gazans should be able to decide who represents them (and I sure hope it isn’t Hamas).
And what if they do pick Hamas (again)?
If they vote Hamas in during a free and fair election, that is completely their right… But it’ll also be the last vote they cast before Gaza is turned into a parking lot.
They did. What you are describing is what happened. There was an election, and the Palestinian people voted in Hamas. Since that time, the US and Israel have prevented further elections, because the very likely outcome is that Hamas would win… again.
So if you would accept Hamas next time, why is it that you don’t accept Hamas now?
I said why earlier – whatever the circumstances under which Hamas was voted in, this has long since passed any pretense of democracy, and the legitimacy of Hamas as a government today is questionable, to say the least.
Ok so it’s the US and Israel who have prevented further elections.
You keep making this weird leap regarding the legitimacy of Hamas that you don’t seem to notice. It’s not Hamas preventing elections, it’s the US and Israel, and there preventing them because they basically know Hamas will win.
There is no question around the legitimacy of Hamas except in US and Israeli propaganda. The pretense of democracy is the one you are supposing where a people’s choice is only valid if it’s the one you preferred they make.
That doesn’t make any sense, because they are already treating Hamas as the legitimate government. Why would they be so reluctant to allow something that would yield the same outcome that they accept today?
Likud are the ones who have been propping up Hamas. I’m sure the US would like them gone, though.
Jesus fucking Christ.