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A lot of posters on here seem to be missing the main point of Gary's original article, i.e. Hamas itself is an inevitable reaction to, and by-product of, militant Zionism.
When did Hamas come into being? Did it exist in Palestine prior to the foundation of the Israeli state? Or did it manifest itself as an all-too-obvious reaction to the appropriation (a polite word for stealing) of Palestinian lands and property, and the relegation of the native (non-Jewish) population to the status of second-class citizens in their own country? The systematic maltreatment of the Palestinian people at the hands of the Israeli state has led inevitably to the creation of a militant resistance movement, Hamas, which gains succour and invigoration from each successive act of suppression.
The ironic thing is this - Hamas are not stupid. They know that by 'provoking' the Israelis by launching rocket attacks, they will unleash a disproportionate military response which will fire up their support and further entrench their position as 'the only true defenders of the oppressed Palestinian people', willing to stand up to the mighty Israelis...
If the stated Israeli intention of this 'operation', i.e. to significantly weaken, or destroy the power base of Hamas in Gaza, is true, why do they then embark upon a course of action that will do nothing but further entrench the causes of the conflict?
Surely, as any clear thinking rational person (from reading this blog, these appear to be thin on the ground) can see, the most effective course of action to undermine/ destroy Hamas, would be to remove the reasons for their existence, and commit to a fair and just solution to the plight of the Palestinian people?
Would it be cynical to assume that there are just as many in the Israeli defence industry (and construction businesses, cf Ariel Sharon) that want this war to continue as in the 'freedom fighters' of Hamas?
