Sounds like progress!

[Proletariat]

http://www.iht.com/articles/2006/01/26/news/vote.php

Give 'em an inch...

The Palestinian prime minister, Ahmed Qurei, and his government submitted their resignations Thursday after the radical Islamic faction Hamas appeared to have scored a major upset and defeated the ruling Fatah party in parliamentary elections.

http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satelli...cle%2FShowFull

Europe sounds ready to chat.

"It is a surprise election result. No one had expected they would get an absolute majority, if that is the outcome," Per Stig Moeller, Denmark's foreign minister, said.

"Hamas must stop the terror, they must put down the arms, they must accept a negotiated solution before the rest of the world can include them in the peace process," Moeller said.

British Foreign Secretary Jack Straw urged Hamas to renounce violence and recognize Israel.

"Hamas has to understand that with democracy goes renunciation of violence," Straw said. "It is up to Hamas to choose. We will have to wait and see, the international community will want Hamas to make a proper rejection of violence and to acknowledge that Israel exists," Straw said.

http://www.zaman.com/?bl=international&alt=&hn=29059

The Arabs want Israel to just calm down and start talking.

The Arab League Secretary-General Amr Mousa said Israel should carry on peace talks even though the Islamic Resistance Movement (HAMAS) takes part in the new Palestinian government.

On Wednesday, Mousa, in Davos for the World Economic Forum meetings, added the peace talks will continue as long as "the other side, Israel, is ready for negotiations".

[Proletariat]

Sort of interesting take from Patrick Belton who covered the race.

It's not clear anyone wanted this, least of all Hamas, who in assuming the administration of the Palestinian national authority's creaking and often corrupt bureaucracy single-handed in a moment when its sole lifeline of European and other international support appears threatened, may just have stumbled into the biggest molasses patch the Harakat al-Muqawamah al-Islamiyyah has ever faced. Unlike the Lib Dems of 1985, Hamas did not go to its constituencies to prepare for government. It had prepared for a coalition, or possibly pristine opposition, but not this.

http://oxblog.blogspot.com/2006/01/u...to-happen.html

[econ21]

Perversely, I think it may ultimately be progress. It often seems to be the hardliners on opposing sides who can make peace - only Nixon could go to China and all that.

[Vladimir]

If true democratic reforms are implemented allowing for prosperity to occur Hamas terrorists will be too fat and happy to continue their war.

[LeftEyeNine]

The 3rd link that is of the Turkish newspaper Zaman is known to have Islamic approaches that was more radical in the past. This may have effect on the way they reflect the news, may be not. Another random point..

[English assassin]

A terrorist organisation engaging in democratic processes is/could be progress, assuming they do move to the ballot box and away from the armalite. On the other hand it may be a disaster (its hard to see the nazi's engagement with the democratic process as a good thing). The parallel may be fairly close since I understand a significant part of the Hamas appeal is its provision of basic services to civilians, a device the nazis also used. Possibly the fact that they now have to take responsibility for the civilians may force them to behave more responsibly?

I must say if I was Fatah a part of me would be looking at Hamas thinking, fine, you made this mess, now YOU sort it out.

[Vladimir]

I must say if I was Fatah a part of me would be looking at Hamas thinking, fine, you made this mess, now YOU sort it out.

An interesting approach, I look forward to seeing how it turns out. If the Palestinian state doesn't change however, Israel could find itself in a more "legitimate" conflict with another nation.