Let Them Eat Sand Cake!

I've been hearing an awful lot of people slam the U.S. and Israel for refusing to aid the Palestinian people until Hamas renounces terrorism and recognizes Israel's right to exist. These are pretty reasonable demands we're making, no? So what's with the severe criticism?

It's not about trying to undermine the Palestinian government, which we don't have the right to do. It's about making sure our money isn't used to fund suicide bombings and hate media when Hamas has made it clear to us that they won't put an end to either. Many believe that we're only doing this to punish the Palestinians for they way they chose to use democracy, and that, by halting our funds to them because they voted for Hamas, we're actually discouraging it. Well now, I don't know; I'd say that the Palestinians are doing a fine job doing curbing democracy without our help.

Why? Because democratic elections don't ensure that the winners of the election are going to abide by basic democratic principles once they're in power, and by electing an Islamic fundamentalist group to head their government, the Palestinians have also limited their own liberties. When Hamas assumes complete control of the Palestinian government, what do you think is going to happen to the rights of women living there? Or Palestinian Christians, for that matter? Israel and the U.S. can support the use of democracy in the "Occupied Territories", but that doesn't mean we have to support the terrorists and oppressors elected because of it.

I couldn't care less what motives the Palestinians had in choosing Hamas to lead them anymore than I care that the Germans elected the Nazis because of the nifty parades. I'm not going to overlook the fact that Hamas spews their antisemitic vitriol against my people 24/7 just because they also happen to distribute soup and toilet paper to the poor. I don't care if Hamas finds a cure for cancer, they still have the blood of hundeds of innocent people on their hands and I don't want my hard-earned tax dollars paying for their suicide vests.

I don't see it happening anytime soon, but I think that, one way or another, Palestinian terrorism is going to come to an end. Either Hamas, Islamic Jihad, and the general Palestinian public will finally cross the line and force Israel's hand or the Palestinians are going to get sick of starving and recognize Israel.

Until then, let them eat sand cake.

Tags: Hamas, U.S.-Palestinian relations, Israeli-Palestinian conflict, terrorism, democracy