Respect This!

Hamas is busy complaining about how the US must respect the Palestinian elections by turning over monies to the Palestinian Authority despite the fact that the terrorist group is barred from those monies under US law. They want the money. They need the money.

But the US withholding the money is all about respecting the elections. Ours.

This is the end result of elections. The Palestinians have to live with the fallout. The Palestinians elected a terrorist group that is hellbent on destroying Israel and is on the US State Department list of terrorist groups.

Hamas doesn't quite get it. (Hat Tip: Brian J. Markowitz)

"The United States, which claims herself to be the mother of democracy, must respect the election results and the will of the Palestinian people," Hamas spokesman Mushir al-Masri said, condemning U.S. and Israeli interference.

Hamas defeated Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas's Fatah movement in the January 25 election on a pledge to end corruption and continue armed struggle for statehood. It is pledged officially to the destruction of Israel which it says is built on occupied Arab land.

The Palestinians, and Hamas in particular, don't quite realize that the elections were only in the Palestinian territories, not in the US.

The US has its own democratic government, which has made its own intentions clear - it will not deal with terrorist groups, and specifically named Hamas as a terrorist group. As such, the US is prohibited from providing any kind of financial assistance to the Palestinian Authority until such time that the US Congress and President agree to change federal law and undesignate Hamas as a terrorist group.

I don't see that happening anytime soon, not when Hamas continues to agitate against the West, the US, and Israel.

Meanwhile, the US and Israel are looking at all options for dealing with the terrorist group as it takes control over the Palestinian Authority. And they should, especially as Hamas says that they're considering renouncing the Oslo Accords signed in 1993.

Once again, we're witnessing the Palestinians and their backers at their very best - never missing an opportunity to miss an opportunity. That streak is unbroken since 1947. Israpundit has more.

Meryl Yourish has an update on the Hamas moderation watch. It isn't pretty. In fact, Hamas hasn't changed one bit since winning the election - it's actually become even more strident, though hasn't successfully carried out any terrorist attacks against Israel. They're too busy consolidating their power and trying to stay a couple of steps ahead of Fatah.

Every time there is a possibility for an agreement or accomodation, the Palestinian leadership chooses violence. Without fail.

They're ready to choose violence again, and elected a terrorist group to lead them. Not that it is much different than electing the PLO and Arafat, but Hamas is explicit and open about its intentions to eradicate Israel.