(Jerusalem Post) Ray Hanania - When Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas complained recently in Qatar that the media there was pro-Hamas, and that its bias was threatening the ability to achieve peace, he struck a chord that many Palestinians know is true. Hamas opposes genuine peace with Israel, and used the most pernicious form of violence - suicide bombings - throughout the 1990s to destroy the peace process and prevent compromise. Its mission is to pursue the impossible dream - more a nightmare for everyday Palestinians - of destroying Israel and returning Palestine to what it was in 1917, before it came under British colonialism. That Hamas desire is shared by secular fanatics based in Western countries who also oppose peace based on compromise. The purpose of many of the Free Gaza protesters is to strengthen Hamas. Rather than help the people of Gaza achieve freedom and build the first steps of a secular Palestinian state, the protesters have helped to encase the Palestinians there in continued suffering, closing their eyes to the oppression and brutality that is the true Hamas. More importantly, this bizarre alliance between religious fanatics and secular extremists is silent on the campaign of terror that Hamas continues to wage against secular Palestinians. Hamas has made it easy for some to oppose Palestinian statehood, and is the main obstacle standing in the way of peace. The writer is a Palestinian American columnist.
2010-01-13 10:28:53Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive