Hamas to take office in Palestine?

**Tired&Emotional** · 26/01/2006, 1:28 PM

After the indications from exit polls put the Fatah party in the lead, it seems that Hamas will now be voted in as the next government in Palestine. And with 72% of the population voting it seems that there is possibly going to be more unstablility in the M.East.

It will take alot of diplomacy from Israel and the US to help keep this region in peace even though Hamas are on ceasefire at present. It depends on who leads the government too with the more moderate Ismail Haniya the best option, imo.

Israel go to the polls in March/April and, with Hamas looking like it will be in power, this will most definetly have a bearing on who takes charge there!

Just when things seemed to be getting somewhere on the roadmap to peace, circumstances (Sharon) and after political advances with Israel drawing troops back to new borders, the future looks even more uncertain.

Hopefully the spirit of democracy and alot of level headed thinking will see the region progress away from the "war" of recent times.

http://www.rte.ie/news/2006/0126/mideast.html

**Hither green** · 26/01/2006, 2:31 PM

It’s a nice heads up for america and their belief that middle eastern governments are unrepresentative of their people - who, given half the chance, would obviously vote for pro-America moderates. Now they’ll be sorry that they didn’t deal with Arafat when they had the chance.

That said I can’t see it being a good thing for the peace process, not in the short term anyway but who knows. They always say, and said about the north in fact, that you needed the most militant on board to build a lasting peace.

**Tired&Emotional** · 26/01/2006, 2:51 PM

Looks like trouble has already started but at least it's only stones.....for now!
Most in the current Israeli leadership, incl. those who previously ordered strikes against Hamas leaders, have spoken out reasonably positively about doing business after the Israeli elections but it will be a tense time until that is decided...

http://www.news24.com/News24/World/N...870282,00.html

(and related links...)

**Tired&Emotional** · 26/01/2006, 3:40 PM

And this was fighting was among the Palestines factions - shots reported as well

But what you say is all true however i'm just looking for any chink of light (in the language being spoken by all sides today) in an otherwise shakey future....

**anto1208** · 27/01/2006, 12:43 PM

what can america or the uk say about it they spend so much time going on about democrasy in these countries now here is a case where the people through democratic elections have elected there leaders only for america uk to turn around ans say we dont like them we wont deal with them ,

its not a case of democrasy but a case of elect who we say .look at afganistan ,there new leader use to work in america for a oil comp , he is as afgan as me

**superfrank** · 27/01/2006, 2:24 PM

76 out of 132, good news for them.

Being a Republican, I have a fondness for the Palestinians, however, Hamas go too far. Their desire to destroy Israel is stupid.

**pete** · 27/01/2006, 2:37 PM

If Hamas continue the bomb & ballot box approach then the peace process is dead over there for the medium term. The election result may also encourage more extreme sections of Israel to win their elections too.

**anto1208** · 27/01/2006, 3:20 PM

is this really a surpirse , if you were kicked out of your house it was then bulldosed and you were put in a "refugee" camp would nt you be peed off .

then after voting for the peacefull leaders that do nothign for you you'd get even more ****ed off and start looking to other parties to help .

what can we say here anyway shin fein have been ellected to gov