Election will encourage Israel's go-it-alone approach
JERUSALEM (AP) — Hamas' apparent victory in Palestinian parliamentary elections has dramatically shaken up the political landscape of the Middle East, elevating Islamic militants who call for Israel's destruction and most likely encouraging Israel's go-it-alone approach to Mideast peacemaking.
It also raised questions about the U.S. policy of promoting democracy in the Middle East. Although Wednesday's vote was an exemplary exercise in democracy, with far fewer disruptions than expected and extraordinarily high turnout, rejectionists won the day.
Leaders of both Hamas and the ruling Fatah Party said Thursday that Hamas won an outright majority of parliamentary seats, though official results were not yet available. The Islamists, capitalizing on widespread discontent with Fatah's corruption and ineffectiveness, now have a right to form the next Palestinian government, though it was not clear if they would choose to do so.
Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas, a moderate, will remain head of the Palestinian Authority and the Palestine Liberation Organization, which is responsible for dealings with Israel.
But Hamas is sure to take a leading role in Palestinian decision-making and the initial statements from Hamas leaders were not promising for peace. Mushir al-Masri, a senior Hamas official, said recognizing Israel and negotiating with it are "not on our agenda."
However, al-Masri also suggested Hamas would be willing to join a coalition with Abbas and Fatah, and several Hamas officials said before the vote that they would not seek to tie Abbas' hands in future dealings with Israel.
A day before the balloting, acting Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert hinted that more unilateral moves — such as last summer's Israeli withdrawal from the Gaza Strip — could be in store if Israel feels there is no Palestinian leadership to talk to.
The apparent Hamas victory "will weaken those in Israel or elsewhere who think we have a partner to negotiate with and it will strengthen those who don't think so, which means it will strengthen the inclination to either go it alone with more unilateralism or do nothing," said Israeli political analyst Yossi Alpher.
Olmert, who took over as acting prime minister after Sharon suffered a devastating stroke on Jan. 4, is the front-runner in March 28 elections. But Hamas' legislative showing could hurt the electoral prospects of Olmert's centrist Kadima party, formed by Sharon in November to free his hands to pursue a peace deal with the Palestinians.
Whether peacemaking with Israel can go forward will now largely depend on whether Hamas joins Fatah in the government, and whether it will abandon the violent ideology that underpinned the dozens of suicide bombings it carried out against Israel before a cease-fire was declared a year ago.
Both Israel and the United States have declared Hamas a terrorist group and refuse to deal with it. But a more nuanced policy now appears possible, with Israelis already debating whether it would be wiser to engage Hamas and a U.S. official refusing to rule out negotiations with a Palestinian government that includes Hamas.
Alpher said misguided U.S. foreign policy is largely to blame for the political rise of Islamists in several places, including Iraq, Lebanon and now the Palestinian territories. "President Bush's democracy push is one of the primary factors that is responsible for what has happened because he has chosen to ignore the contradiction between electoral democracy which he's sponsoring and allowing armed Islamic movements to run."
to the security barrier
. You can find the results of an election disapointing or outright scary and still have faith in the democratic process - the result hardly upsets cherished notions of what the people wanted.
