Sharansky on Hamas election
[For the record, I participated yesterday in a meeting with Palestinian civil-society activists evaluating the election results, and the one thing they all agreed upon was that the majority of Palestinians, including at least 30% of those who voted for Hamas in the district and national lists, recognize Israel, are against terror, and are desirous of peace. It is clear (from surveys, not gut feelings) that much of the vote was against Fatah corruption, not for Hamas. Not to be too sanguine about it: it is clear that at least 60% of those voting for Hamas are supportive of some part of their agenda. But of Palestinians eligible to vote that’s still only 40%, so it appears that a majority of Palestinians are in favor of accepting Israel’s right to exist, in favor of a peace settlement, and against terror. I’m still very afraid of the other 40%, especially the fanatics among them, but it’s a somewhat comforting sign. The question is who will emerge ascendant over the next few years. See e...