Hamas wins landslide victory in Palestinian elections
January 26, 2006 · By Hugo Chesshire
Terrorist group Hamas has won an unexpected landslide victory in the Palestinian elections, claiming 76 of 132 seats. Hamas is officially recognised as a terrorist organization by the European Union, the USA, Israel and Canada, but this win has given it a new legitimacy. Although terrorists are not permitted to run for political office in Palestine, fear of a lack of international support and a failure to take the threat of a Hamas win seriously held Israel back from taking serious action to prevent this.
The trouble with terrorists who control a State is that they do not stop being terrorists, rather, they expand their terror and brutality. Such was the case with groups of terrorists and gangsters who gained control over the Russian State in 1917, the German State in 1933, China in 1949, Syria and Iraq in 1963, Cambodia in 1976, and many more. The terror of none was mitigated, but rather hugely amplified and spread after a rise to official, State power.
The ascendancy of Hamas is likely to have dire consequences not only for Israel, but for the Palestinians, and whatever small freedoms they may have enjoyed under Fatah are in grave jeopardy now.
How does this change Israel’s security position? Not at all. It is a setback for the “peace process”, but since the process hasn’t borne anything fruitful for Israel in any case it’s hardly a real problem for them. I’d say the dire consequences are going to fall entirely on the Palestinians and their global supporters. They’ve traded long term legitimacy for the short term gratification of putting on a tough image, and they will be the ones who’ll pay the consequences when things inevitably go south.