Replies

I understand that you do not support the goals of Hamas. More specifically, I would suspect you do not support their methods. While I would never profess to be an adamant supporter of Hamas' goals or methods, I do respect their right to have certain goals defined according to their values and to pursue them by what they consider to be acceptable methods given their means. This is what the US (and any other government in the world) does. The difference is that recognized states in the world have greater means due to a greater ability to extract from their populations (taxation). Need I remind you of things such as secret CIA prisons or Abu Ghraib, even Hiroshima and Nagasaki (in the eyes of some)? It is not like the means of the US have always been condoned by the world either.

Maybe you should investigate the social welfare networks established by groups such as Hamas and Hezbollah in the occupied territories. They do not focus all of their efforts and funding on what has so conveniently been labeled as terrorism. Until the state of Israel can combat the parallel social welfare state, it will never end the efforts of Hamas and others like them. Fortunately, the Israelis have realized this and have, over the last few years, been exploring options for counteracting this. The biggest problem is that they propose doing it with European funding, not Israeli funding which often furthers the idea that Palestinians will never receive respect and fair treatment from the state of Israel.

Additionally, maybe one should examine history a bit more closely to see that Hamas, Hezbollah, and the state of Israel (along with Western allies) did not really engage one another as enemies until the British made two promises (The Hussein letters to the Palestinians and The Balfour Declaration to the Jewish population) for the territory that is now in dispute. While many like to say that this is an historic battle over claims to territory, it really is not. Much like the Balkan wars, people cite historic grievances to incite more hatred, but there were centuries of peace in this territory also.

Back to the issue of the Russians funding Hamas.....They feel (and I would tend to agree) that whether or not you like what Hamas is doing, you have little choice but to recognize them as the legitimate, legal voice of the Palestinians at this point. They control the Palestinian Legislative Council. Ignoring them and refusing negotiation with them would be extremely hypocritical of a state like the US which professes to want to see a democratic world. Recognition of their newly won political power and status in the region also provides the opportunity to "bring them to the table" on somewhat equal footing to the Israelis in order to work out some compromises. Whether you feel they deserve to have that status or not, it psychologically works to demonstrate they have your respect and to convince them, as a result, that they do not necessarily have to be combative. They no longer have to fight for recognition and respect. Failing to give them this status almost guarantees a more militant stance. Of course, if you favor a war of attrition in Israel, by all means, continue to argue that Hamas should be ignored and that war will come, but it most certainly will not come without large portions of the world being drawn into it. It will also not come without severe disruptions to Western, oil-dependent economies who have not been farsighted enough to pursue alternative means of energy.

(Thanks for the opportunity to participate in a bit of lively debate.)

"I understand that you do not support the goals of Hamas. More specifically, I would suspect you do not support their methods. While I would never profess to be an adamant supporter of Hamas' goals or methods, I do respect their right to have certain goals defined according to their values and to pursue them by what they consider to be acceptable methods given their means."

OPINION: Killing Jews (or any person for the sake of jihad) is just not a priority I could ever understand. You'll have to forgive me if I'm not as wide-minded as you; but scattered body parts for no reason is not a priority I endorse. Targeting children is not a priority I can endorse, either.

I could show you a whole bunch of info links on Hezbollah, too; but that would just waste your time.

Anyway, thanks for signing up on FR.
You could learn a lot here if you so desire to do so.

Good luck with Ph.D.

That's the end of this "lively debate" with me.