EDITORIAL – Hamas victory is loss for peace plans

Yesterday was a sad day for those who hope to see a peaceful ending to the Palestine/Israel… Yesterday was a sad day for those who hope to see a peaceful ending to the Palestine/Israel conflict. The Palestinian Authority election resulted in an overwhelming defeat for the current majority party, the Palestinian Liberation Organization’s Fatah party.

Hamas, a multifaceted Islamic group with historical ties to the Muslim Brotherhood, means different things to different people. For many impoverished Palestinians, Hamas is a provider of basic healthcare and rudimentary schooling. For America, Canada, the countries of the European Union and others, it is a terrorist organization. Part of Hamas’ original charter calls for the complete destruction of Israel, and the group has been linked to countless suicide bombings.

Because of this designation, most countries – Israel and the United States included – refuse to deal with Hamas officials. Now, though, Hamas is poised as the voice of authority for the Palestinian people.

Its leaders have labeled Israel an “occupying state” and have said that negotiations, while not entirely off the table, will not begin until Palestinians are given full rights. Hamas has no intentions of disarming its military wing or of revising its call for Israel’s destruction.

For obvious reasons, this complicates the peace process. It also complicates funding for the Palestinian Authority – currently much of their monetary support comes from the EU, but the EU will not deal with Hamas, which gets its funding elsewhere. Already in severe financial need, the future of the Palestinian Authority is unsure without this financial backing.

There is some speculation that Hamas will be forced to soften its positions on several issues. Many Palestinians, for example, do not follow the stringent Islam promoted by Hamas. Cities like Ramallah, whose bars and restaurants form the center of Palestinian nightlife, would likely not accept the passage or enforcement of Islamic Sharia law.

Even so, Hamas will likely enjoy a high level of legitimacy among the people. If its leaders were to revise their position and agree to working with Israel, instead of sending suicide bombers into civilian areas, Hamas could be a powerful agent for positive social change and accomplish many things more quickly and completely than the Fatah party has so far been able to do.

The likelihood of this happening, though, seems slim. This is a shame because more than anything else most Palestinian people seem to want the basics: decent housing, employment, schools, adequate medical care – in short, a state and peace. They may have voted for a party that they believe will deliver this, but unless Hamas changes its mission and practices rather radically and quite quickly, the result of this election is only going to be more bloodshed.