Hamas Sweeps Palestinian Elections

Interesting.

So on one hand democracy has prevailed in the Palestinian elections. On the other, the Palestinian electorate has given a terrorist organization a legislative majority (as if there was much of a choice, however).

NRO:

Rightly President Bush has applied pressure by saying that there can be no question of dealing with Hamas until it gives up terror. For Israel, Ehud Olmert has made the same condition. In practice, there are already Hamas mayors and officials on the West Bank and in Gaza, and Israel has to treat with them over plenty of low-level issues. Common sense suggests that Hamas would enter the government along with Fatah, and try to steer the political process to its benefit, while shaking a fist at Israel for show. That appears to be what Abu Mazen hopes, and he is too weak to do much more than appease Hamas. The Arafat years have left Palestinian society so fractured and lawless that common sense is at a premium, however, and any idea of peace and cooperation may well be wishful thinking. In that case, this election will have added to the baffling Middle East phenomenon that something new has happened but nothing changes.

Ed Morrissey:

Perhaps this election will finally convince the United States, if not Europe and Russia, of the folly of continued efforts on "road maps" and the like. Gaza showed that Fatah cannot govern a state, and the West Bank just elected bloodthirsty terrorists almost to a Parliamentary majority. These people want war. They will not settle for half the land when they believe a war will bring them all of it. In the end, it may be better for the world to let the two sides fight their war in order to make them both sick enough of the consequences to start selecting leaders that want peace and plan for it. If all the Palestinians understand is death and martyrdom, then let them have their fill of both.

Power Line:

With the election results yesterday in the Palestinian Authority, Arafatistan frankly joins the Axis. The Jerusalem Post reports: "Masha[a]l calls Abbas to inquire about partnership." Post editor David Horovitz describes the outcome as an "earthquake," writing: "The era of Fatah is over. The Islamists are in control."