Hamas Wins Palestinian Election

Posted on January 26, 2006

Israeli officials convened emergency meetings on Thursday to decide how to respond to the militant Hamas group’s upset victory in Palestinian elections, maintaining an outward silence while privately blaming each other for the upheaval.

Not suprisingly, Iran hails Hamas victory

Iran has congratulated the Islamist Palestinian group Hamas for its election victory and praised voters for choosing “to continue the struggle and resistance against occupation”.

Update: Hamas, Fatah Supporters Clash

Hamas supporters raised their flag over the Palestinian parliament Thursday and rushed into the building amid clashes with Fatah loyalists a day after winning parliamentary elections.

The two camps threw stones at each other, breaking windows in the building, as Fatah supporters briefly tried to lower the green Hamas banners. The crowd of about 3,000 Hamas backers cheered and whistled as activists on the roof of the parliament raised the Hamas banner again.

RAMALLAH, West Bank (AP) Hamas’ top official told Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas on Thursday the Islamic militant group is ready for a partnership after defeating the ruling Fatah Party in parliamentary elections - a shocking upset sure to throw Mideast peacemaking into turmoil.

Officials in both parties said Hamas appeared to have captured a large majority of seats in Wednesday’s elections. The Central Election Commission said the vote count had not been completed and that it would make an official announcement Thursday evening.

Abbas’ Fatah Party will decide later in the day whether to join a Hamas-led government or serve in the opposition, Palestinian Information Minister Nabil Shaath said.

Earlier, Fatah legislator Saeb Erekat said after a meeting with Abbas that the party has already decided to serve in the opposition. “Hamas will be asked to form the new government,” Erekat said. “We in Fatah will not join them. We will be a loyal opposition and rebuild the party.”

Abbas, who favors peace talks with Israel, has said he would resign if he could no longer pursue his agenda. Aides said he planned a major speech Thursday night.

Israel and the United States have said they would not deal with a government led by Hamas, which has carried out dozens of suicide bombings and which they consider a terrorist group.

Acknowledging the Hamas victory, Palestinian Prime Minister Ahmed Qureia and his Cabinet ministers resigned Thursday - hours before official results were released.

“This is the choice of the people. It should be respected,” Qureia said. “If it’s true, then the president should ask Hamas to form a new government.” The Cabinet remained in office in a caretaker capacity.

By law, Abbas must ask the largest party in the new parliament - presumably Hamas - to form the new government. Abbas was elected separately a year ago and remains president.

Hamas capitalized on widespread discontent with Fatah’s corruption and ineffectiveness. Much of its campaign focused on internal Palestinian issues, while playing down the conflict with Israel.

Israeli officials declined comment on the outcome, but senior security officials gathered Thursday to discuss the results. Acting Prime Minister Ehud Olmert scheduled talks with senior officials later in the day.

Olmert said Wednesday, before Hamas claimed victory, that Israel cannot trust a Palestinian leadership in which the Islamic group has a role.

“Israel can’t accept a situation in which Hamas, in its present form as a terror group calling for the destruction of Israel, will be part of the Palestinian Authority without disarming,” Olmert said in a statement issued by his office.

Reactions to the Hamas victory streamed in from around the world. Italian Premier Silvio Berlusconi, according to news reports, called it a “very, very, very bad result.” But Benita Ferrero-Waldner, the European Union’s external relations commissioner, said Hamas must be “ready to work for peace” with Israel if it joins the Palestinian government.

U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan congratulated the Palestinian people on the peaceful elections, which he views as an important step toward a Palestinian state.

President Bush told The Wall Street Journal on Wednesday the United States will not deal with Hamas until it renounces its position calling for the destruction of Israel.

Kofi Annan congratulated the Palestinian people for electing a terrorist organization to represent the will of its people? I wonder if the Palestinian State he speaks of resembles the map at the U.N. that pre-dates the formation of Israel as a state. This is definitely a giant step backwards in the peace process in the Middle East, not that there was any real progress in that area anyway…but still.

Al-Zahar said his group would not disarm and might not renew a truce with Israel that expires next month. Israel says Hamas has been involved in several rocket and shooting attacks the past year in spite of the truce.

Hamas, classified by the State Department and the European Union as a terrorist organization, is responsible for thousands of deadly shooting attacks, scores of suicide bombings and has fired more than 300 rockets and mortars into Israeli towns.

Among Hamas’ most notorious attacks are the “Passover massacre” in a Netanya hotel in 2002 in which 30 civilians celebrating the Jewish holiday were killed, the 2002 “Patt Junction bombing” of a Jerusalem bus killing 19 civilians and the bombings in 2002 and 2003 of Jerusalem bus numbers 20 and 2, killing a combined 34 civilians, among scores of other large-scale suicide attacks.

The official Hamas charter calls for the destruction of Israel by “assaulting and killing,” and rejects all peace talks with the Jewish state.WND

Israellycool

The neo palestinian people have spoken. It is a resounding “yes” to Israel’s destruction.

Sister Toldjah has a great roundup of this terrible news for the middle East.
Debbie Sclussel investigates how your tax dollars have helped fund the lesser of two evils.
All Things Beautiful calls it a Dark Victory
Michelle Malkin has a great roundup
Other Sources:
Hamas Win Unsettles Peace Process
CNN

» Filed Under News, War On Terror

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5 Responses to “Hamas Wins Palestinian Election”

reliapundit on January 26th, 2006 11:27 am

HAMAS WINS: NOTHING WILL REALLY CHANGE -

Before the election, Israel had no partner for a negotiated settlement, and it still doesn’t have one.

Arafat said he recognized israel and then secretly ran a terror campaign to destroy Israel.

Abbas was either ineffective, or willingly allowed the terrorists REMAIN ARMED and to attack Israel however and whenever they wanted.

Now - through elections - Hamas gets control of the so called “Palestinian’s” so called “government” and I predict that - effectively speaking - they will do the same things as Arafat and Abbas: claim they have reformed and claim they are willing to negotiate, but continue to attempt to destroy Israel and to continue to commit genocidal terror against Israelis.

Israel has only one way forward (KADIMA is hebrew for “forward”):

To continue to do what it has been doing for the last few years: to unilaterally disengage according to parameters which are solely in its own interest and to build a wall keeping Palistinians out, and to monitor all transport and communications into and out of Arab Palestine. And to retaliate with extreme force to any attack or any provocation of any attack.

NOTE: Hamas may claim to reform (as Arafat did) - in order to get funding from the USA and the EU and the UN, but their members - and the members of the other jihadoterrorist groups - won’t suddenly become believers in (or practioners of) peaceful co-existence. The children these Arabs have raised to proudly become “human-guided/genocidal missiles” will not suddenly become doves or lambs. The war will go on.

FURTHER NOTE: I predict that Israel will IMMEDIATELY, AND WITH ALL DUE HASTE, move toward total and final separation by closing down the less defendable West Bank settlements and finishing and fortifying the “wall of separation.” This will be along a line of Israel’s choosing and it will include all of Jerusalem.WHY?! So that they will be in the BEST POSSIBLE militarily defensive position to withstand the “firestorm” which will be ignited when they and/or the US demolish Iran’s nuke program and destroy Iran’s offensive military capability. The pre-emptive attack against Iran will occur as soon as this is completed.

There’s an UPSIDE to this election result: after the next jihadoterrorist attack, Hamas biggies will be much easier for the IDF to assassinate - unless they intend to rule from a bunker!
Peter Bella on January 26th, 2006 1:43 pm

This is truely a case of be careful what you ask for. The US pushed and Israel reluctantly agreed to a Palastinian state. A Democratic Palastinian state. Well, now we have one. Of the terrorists, by the terrorists, for the terrorists.

Stability in the region just went out with the baby’s bath water. I wish Israel well. I hope we are on a higher level of alert status.

Welcome, Hamas, the new terrorist government to be afraid of.
RovesTumor on January 26th, 2006 1:43 pm

These [edited] things happen when you invade Arab soil on even [edited] pretenses.

Now watch this drive.
Marti on January 26th, 2006 6:29 pm

Did Bush really say he would not rule out working with the Hamas? I have been away all day!

If he did, he truly is a moron, and it hurts me to say that.
This is a ridiculous-sick joke. Whom is buying this! There is no working with the Hamas unless you want to help push Israel into the sea.
Theresa on January 27th, 2006 2:32 pm

Now when hamas launches missiles or sends in a suicide bomber, it will be a formal declaration of war and Israel will have to respond. Good-bye palistine, good riddance.