Palestinians failed democracy- A plan for Obama
Tuesday, December 30, 2008
I think it is clear that while supporting democracy around the world is a noble idea, there are people and states who are simply unable to make good choices for themselves. The Palestinians have just proven that. There have been plenty of democratically elected tyrannies that have been overthrown, many by us and the Hamas Terror administration should be next on the list. There is an election coming up there and I believe all would be better served if it was called off and Fatah re-installed as the government. Israel should continue it's efforts to destroy Hamas and to minimize their ability to cause trouble, but the kinetic operations cannot change the situation to a positive, they can only stop what was an untenable one for the Israelis.
I believe Obama should go ask some of those new buddies of his in Old Europe and the UN to declare Fatah the government and to start a new round of talks. Now I know, I know this has all been done before, but as I said in my previous piece the press is on board with Obama and that helps a lot. There are a couple of things that must be completely off the table for any chance of peace. The first is the mythical "right of return" for refugees. When the UN carved two states out of Jordan for the Jews and the Jordanian Arabs, there was immediate conflict and eventually all the neighboring Arab states banded together and took their first shot at throwing the Jooos in the ocean. They told the Arabs living in what was now Israel and parts of Palestine to leave and avoid the war, then they could "return" and claim all the land from the river to the sea. It didn't quite work out that way and the Arabs got their asses kicked in '48, then again in '56, '67 and '73. These people cleared out with the idea that their friends would kick the Israelis out and they could have it all, well your side lost and with it lost the "right of return". In addition the wall the Israelis built has been the most effective terror prevention tool pretty much in history and will have to become part of the final border. This must lead to Israeli land concessions in less strategic areas and removal of any settlements not on the Israeli side of the wall.
The elements of Palestinian society that support Hamas are not going to accept any deal that leaves Israel intact, so the world community must impose it on them and be prepared to help Fatah and Israel enforce it. I have absolutely no problem with Obama fixing the Middle East, so feel free to borrow my cunning plan.