(Washington Institute for Near East Policy) Michael Herzog - IDF Brig.-Gen. Michael Herzog, a visiting military fellow at The Washington Institute, testified on March 8, 2006, before the House Committee on International Relations Subcommittee on the Middle East and Central Asia. Hamas' electoral victory constitutes the first time that an armed, violent Islamist group has been voted into power through free and fair elections. There is no doubt that this victory provides a huge boost to Islamists in the region and beyond. The primary policy question for the international community is whether it should look to moderate Hamas or to help Hamas fail. The chances for Hamas' moderation on its core beliefs are very slim in the foreseeable future. No strong, mainstream Palestinian political center exists that can force it to moderate. Most Palestinians accept the idea that violence is a legitimate tool in dealing with Israel (not withstanding the current ceasefire), and they agree with Hamas' interim goal of pushing Israel to the 1967 borders. Further, Hamas constitutes a political movement driven by deep religious convictions. It believes that abandoning its core ideals (such as the belief that the land of Palestine is God-given to Muslims and that Jews have no rights to the land) would be akin to giving up on God's will. Because there is no moderating pressure from within, pressure from outside is essential to require Hamas to accept the international stipulations put forth by the Quartet, namely a "commitment to the principles of nonviolence, recognition of Israel, and acceptance of previous agreements and obligations, including the Roadmap." Effective pressure from the outside is needed in the form of a refusal to deal with Hamas and to assist a Hamas government unless it meets the conditions put forth by the international community. No direct budgetary support should be given to a Hamas-run government or to Hamas-controlled institutions. Humanitarian aid to the Palestinian people should be continued but only indirectly and through vetted organizations.
2006-03-17 00:00:00Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive