Report: Abbas says Hamas is a legitimate party

[Brightmore]

Report: Abbas says Hamas is a legitimate party
ASSOCIATED PRESS
August 25, 2005

Hamas is a legitimate party for Palestinian legislative elections set for January, and its participation is part of the democratic process, Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas was quoted as telling a French newspaper.

Groups such as Hamas will grow less radical if they are integrated into politics, Abbas said, according to an interview published on Liberation newspaper's Web site Thursday.

"Hamas will take part in elections, and if it wins, why not?" he was quoted as saying. "We believe in the principles of democracy. So if we want to build a democracy, we must accept the consequences of democracy."

Hamas, which is Abbas' main political rival, will compete in national elections for the first time in January and is expected to make a strong showing.

Israel has demanded that Abbas disqualify Hamas from the elections, because it refuses to disarm. Israel, the European Union and the United States consider Hamas a terror organization.

Link

[barb162]

1. Let's hope Abbas is right

"Groups such as Hamas will grow less radical if they are integrated into politics"

That and several other things have to start working very quickly and together if Hamas is to lose popularity among the Palestinians. If Fatah cleans up its own act, is able to attract investment, strategizes properly, etc.

[Lithos]

2. I agree with him

Same reason why it worked with the IRA. The more they are integrated and "normalized", the more they have to loose when the shooting starts.

In the case of the IRA, there was also a good deal of "shady" investments which were threatened. Not sure how that plays with Hamas, but it still supports the notion of involvement can be helpful.

L-

[barb162]

5. Well, I hope you're right too.

Events (killings,the bus station bombing, Hamas leaders talking "tough") of the past few days and weeks are giving me bad vibes about the ceasefire lasting, let alone a real lasting peace.

Something has to work, right? One would also think economic angle incentives would work wonders (getting new housing and decent jobs for the unemployed people who live in slums, etc., but I haven't been able to find anything solid about what they are really intending for Gaza).

[Igel]

3. The IRA at least plausibly had different commands for their

terrorist and political groups, i.e., the two sides didn't have one brain. At least nobody could find enough evidence to show otherwise.

Even the Netherlands recently concluded that Hamas has one board controlling both the terrorist and political/social work sides: the same people handing out food and blood money also disperse bullets and bombs.

[tucoramirez2005]

4. Abbas is indebted to Hamas

for the return of Gaza, and all of Palestine knows it.

[Brightmore]

6. Terrorism didn't return Gaza

Don't fool yourself.

[tucoramirez2005]

7. What did?

It also cost 4 settlements in the West Bank, BTW.