The Mask Comes Off

I'd post the usual Thanks for the Memories here, but there are so many blogs covering the topic, it would take all day. A few of the ones I've followed:

Ace of Spades Headquarters
Naked Villainy
Captain's Quarters
UPDATE: Jeff at Protein Wisdom has a good list of entries on this, including Yours Truly.
Y2Dray

So the Palestinians have given Hamas an overwhelming majority in their latest elections. Like Maximum Leader and Ace, I am unsuprised. If anyhting, I'm surprised it wasn't a complete sweep. This is in a large part a result of the rampant corruption of Fatah, but I am convinced it is also, perhaps equally, because a majority of the Palestinians agree with Hamas' position on Israel. And what is that position? The stated goal of Hamas is the Destruction of Israel, and that hasn't changed:

Another Hamas official, Mushir al-Masri, warned that Hamas would not hold peace talks with Israel. "Negotiations with Israel is not on our agenda," he said. "Recognising Israel is not on the agenda either now."

And these are the people the Palestinians want governing them. As I said in August, Hamas and its allies "will not rest until there remains not a single Jew in all of what is now the State of Israel."

But apparently, Jimmy Carter thinks that a genocidal regime is ok, as long as it's a duly elected, efficient government:

Potentially, it can be a good thing. We have observed very carefully the success that Hamas candidates have had in local elections. They've done quite well. And although they are officially characterized, and accurately, as a terrorist organization, I think that so far there's been no allegation of corruption among their elected officials.

And in Germany, at least the trains ran on time, right, Jimmy Chamberlain (thanks for that moniker to Vulture Six)?

The only thing remotely close to being positive about this is that the Palestinians have made their intentions clear to the World, if only the World will pay attention. There is no longer a distinction (however illusory it was before) between the Palestinian government and the Palestinian terrorists -- the Palestinians have made the terrorists their government.

And it's already been said, but I echo the same sentiments -- they now have no one but themselves to blame if the actions of their government bring down the wrath of the Israelis, and the scorn of the World. They have taken off the mask, and revealed to the world their true faces. Hamas does speak, it is now apparent, for the Palestinians. Hamas is Palestine, Palestine is Hamas.

Sounds frighteningly familiar.