Polls show Hamas running a close second for tomorrow's Palestinian elections. Would Hamas' winning--or being part of a governing coalition--be a bad thing? Seems an absurd question. But my colleague Bob Wright makes the argument that it would be a good thing. Bob's point: Drawing radical/terrorist groups into politics is a net plus, it moderates them.
I tend to agree. Not that we (or at least I) really want Hamas to win outright. I don't want them gaining whatever power the Palestinian Authority still has. But I do want them to be involved politically. That's because in order to win wide support among voters, they'd have to tack center (just like presidential candidates do here in the U.S.)
Meanwhile, the U.S. has hinted it won't recognize a Palestinian government that includes Hamas. That's understandable, and in my mind, wrong-headed. The goal should be to co-opt these guys. To do that, you have to offer incentives as well as potential sticks. If you tell them that you won't recognize them as political players, what incentive are you giving them to drop their arms and become...political players?*
*The morals of this make me squirm a bit. But squeamishness shouldn't stop us from doing what's right, in sense that it offers the best chances for stability, peace, and all those other nice things.
A wise man once said that you don't make peace with your friends, you make peace with your enemies.
Posted by: Rafe | January 24, 2006 at 03:48 PM