Jimmy Carter says it all in his editorial on the best way forward in dealing with the new Hamas-dominated parliament in Palestine.
Nowhere is the schizophrenia of the Bush administration’s attitude toward democracy more evident than in their decision to collude with Israel to deny Palestine with the funding they need (including their own honestly earned tariff revenues) to pay for basic services.
The reaction of the Israeli government and the Bush administration to the success of Hamas is to ensure their failure to be able to govern. And to accomplish this they do not care how many people are denied health care, how many schools cannot open their doors, or how many crimes go uninvestigated because there is no money for the police.
Everyone should read Carter’s editorial and share it with their friends and family.
As he says:
It would not violate any political principles to at least give the Palestinians their own money; let humanitarian assistance continue through U.N. and private agencies; encourage Russia, Egypt and other nations to exert maximum influence on Hamas to moderate its negative policies; and support President Abbas in his efforts to ease tension, avoid violence and explore steps toward a lasting peace.
Update [2006-2-20 2:1:26 by BooMan]: Oh, Jesus. The New York Times has the most dishonest article/headline I have seen since Judy Miller last compared Saddam Hussein to Robert Oppenheimer. I’m going to sleep. Someone please take Steven Erlangar apart. Please.
.
The Palestinians living under conditions of poverty has increased to 50% during Sharon’s campaign of agression since his election to power in Februari 2001. Olmert and his Likud led cabinet will not accept the democratic result of the Palestinian election and set conditions ahead of a Hamas led Palestinian Authority and government.
TEL AVIV (AP) Feb. 19 — Israel branded the Palestinian government a “terrorist authority” and halted the transfer of hundreds of millions of dollars in tax money after Hamas took control of the Palestinian parliament.
The Palestinian political group Hamas worked to consolidate its power and form a government, nominating one of its more pragmatic leaders, Ismail Haniyeh, to be the new prime minister.
On Sunday, Israeli troops killed four Palestinians in two separate incidents.
President Mahmoud Abbas, will meet with Haniyeh in Gaza on Monday and formally ask him to assemble a Cabinet, a task Haniyeh would have five weeks to complete. Haniyeh said Hamas would begin talks with possible coalition partners.
Hamas nominated Ismail Haniyeh, a Hamas leader widely viewed by Palestinians as a pragmatist, to be the next prime minister. ReutersDECISIONS ISRAELI CABINET
“The PA is — in practice — becoming a terrorist authority,” acting Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert told his Cabinet at the beginning of its meeting Sunday. “Israel will not hold contacts with a government in which Hamas takes part.”
The Cabinet decided to stop the transfer of the roughly $55 million a month it collects in taxes and tariffs on behalf of the Palestinian Authority. The order did not specify when the payments would stop, but government spokesman Asaf Shariv said the next payment, scheduled for early March, “won’t take place.”
Israel’s acting foreign minister, Tzipi Livni, said the government did not want to “worsen” the daily lives of Palestinians or cause an international backlash against Israel. But she warned that “Israel will take a number of additional politically significant steps regarding the Palestinian Authority.” She did not elaborate.
Mofaz told Israel TV the government could freeze work on the construction of a seaport and airport in Gaza.
Israel Offers Palestinians A Diet¹ – A quote from PM Olmert, according to Dutch radio and Israel watchers.
“But I will not let myself be reduced to silence.”
▼ ▼ ▼ MY DIARY
Why should anyone listen to Carter? What does he know about peace in the Middle East anyway?
Oh crap, that’s right… he brokered the only peace agreement in Israel’s history. Shoot.
As for Erlanger, I am now suspending my reading flow to his newspaper 😉
Pax
Carter seems to be right on track now and should be listened to.
As far as his credentials in the Middle East, is it not true that his actions are a mixed bag? Am I wrong or did not his decision regarding the war in Afghanistan contribute to the US problem’s in the Middle East. His attempt to preserve US hegemony in the area led to our arming and training people who are now sworn and violent enemies of the U.S.
I’m a Carter fan, and certainly no scholar about the Mid East, so I would appreciate hearing insight or information from those who know more.
It’s a shame that this is one of those subjects we’re not allowed to discuss.
Give me a socket wrench, a cordless drill, and a pound of bubblegum and we’ll have that troublesome alien media android reduced to spare parts faster than you can say “These aren’t the droids we’re looking for.”
Seriously, at this point, “alien android invaders” is about the only explanation I’ve got left for some of this stupidity.
as to how fragile their support worldwide is becoming? They seem to think their tiny country is the 800-pound gorilla when they’re really just a flea on the gorilla’s ass. If they continue their bullyboy aggression much longer they may find that even their US buddy suddenly has had enough. It was unthinkable even 10 years ago, but I’m starting to seriously wonder whether Israel will be a nation 30 years from now. To me, that’s a tragic reality.