Irish Free Gaza and a Little Bit of History

There's an Irish boat that is going to try to bust the Gaza blockade tomorrow.  Please let's remember that there is a long connection between the Irish Republican Army and the PLO.  In fact, the car bomb was perfected in Ireland and then the IRA went to the Middle East and taught the PLO the best way to blow up a car in exchange for guns.

 

Fanciful stories about the Irish Potato Famine creating sympathy for the current Palestinian plight are romantic, but ill-informed.  The nature of the connection is terrorists sharing their methods for killing people.  The Irish people who still support the Palestinians actively are doubtless connected to the Irish terrorists who taught them how best to build a bomb.

 

But I guess the point of this rant is to highlight how these chattering people on television and radio make things up because they don't know the real reason.

Gaza Scholars

Thank you, Secretary Rice.

Thank you for having a common sense head on your shoulders and restoring the Fulbright scholarships to the Gaza winners. There will be a long-term ramification of being reasonable in this matter. I call it the "payoff of reasonableness." None of these future Palestinian leaders will forget your compassion for them. They are going to be around a long time and the benefit may not be immediately apparent, but it will be there.

Thank you again.

The Gaza Scholars

It is hard to think of a better example of what is wrong with Israel's policy towards the Palestinians than not allowing Fulbright scholars to leave the country to pursue their studies.

What exactly does this accomplish? To date, there is no indication that the Gaza scholars are involved with terrorism. What would acting decently and humanely cost you?

People who win Fulbright scholarships tend to be leaders in their society. Israel's decision to deny these people a very prestigious scholarship by not letting them out of the country is going to cause long-term resentment. Considering the other ways the Palestinians are being treated by Israel, it is probably nominal in its impact.

Not letting people use their Fulbright scholarships is wrong and not strategic. The people in question are not going away. It would be just a little thing to let some scholars accept their scholarships. But for some reason, that is too much for Israel.

Hamas and Fatah

Former U.S. President Jimmy Carter has criticized the international community for its open support of Fatah over Hamas. They express this support by giving money to the Fatah government and not to the Hamas government.

I think Carter's a little wrong on that one. Former President Carter says that Hamas was elected and the world is making a big mistake in ignoring the voice of the Palestinians.

Yes, Hamas was elected. No, Hamas cannot govern. They can't even work with other groups of Palestinians. And when real bare-knuckled politics of governing is required, Hamas pulls out its guns.

So Jimmy Carter complains that the global support of Fatah over Hamas will create a divide between Palestinians. Maybe. But why should anyone support a government they oppose? One calling for the destruction of Israel? One that can't even negotiate a political solution with its own brethren?

There is a democracy of international support as well. No nation MUST give the Palestinians money. If there are two governments, as there are now, support can be given to either, or both. If you act like gun-toting lunatics, don't be surprised if you don't get money from other nations.

Hamas and Fatah and the Palestinian Authority

Is anyone surprised that Hamas and Fatah are killing each other? Not me. And that tenuous cease-fire they've got going on is not going to last. Hamas and Fatah are fighting for control of the Palestinian Authority. It is a natural outgrowth of Hamas winning electorally.

Because, again, if the only tool you have is a hammer, everything looks like a nail. Hamas has expressed itself politically through violence for years. Now it has the chance to govern and it can't do it. Not without killing people. Its only political expression is violence and wild-eyed rhetoric. To be more balanced, Hamas also has many charities and feeds the poor, etc. But it is how you communicate and negotiate with your enemies that makes you a leader.

The worst possible denouement would be Israel's involvement in this fight. Let them kill each other or learn how to talk themselves. It is a struggle they are going to have to resolve.

Peace in the Middle East: The Payoff for Peace

The Israeli paper, Haaretz, reported that the King of Jordan supported the idea of giving Palestinians a payment rather than a guarantee of a return to their old land. Hamas went bonkers and has returned to sending rockets into Israel.

Let's face it, all of the Palestinians are not going to return. Just give them the money and let's move on. Of course, Hamas will no longer have any reason to keep on killing people except that they are bloodthirsty jerks. They will probably invent another reason.

Sunni vs. Shiite

The bloodshed in the Palestinian Authority is the beginning of the entire region disintegrating. Centrufigal forces within Islam are now unstoppable, and every nation is going to be affected.

Europe and the U.S. will find fuel efficiency and alternative fuels to be fascinating very soon, and worthy of their attention and resources like never before. It will be amazing how quickly alternative fuels become cost-effective.

Russia will see its interests rise again. The immediate demand for oil will have them strutting around again like the old days. Maybe then Putin will smile. Europe will not be as calm the next time Putin throws a tantrum.

Venezuela will become even more insufferable. Brazil will join them.

The trade embargo against Cuba will be lifted.

Israel will have to confront its own problems and grapple with a potential civil war. The religious right will not be a winner in that one.

The political force that is modern Islam is a powerful one. Now let's watch them use that power to kill each other.

Usama bin Laden to Allah: I could have been a contender!