Democratic 'Palestinians'

Recently US President George W. Bush claimed: "This is a moment of clarity for all Palestinians, and now comes a moment of choice... There is the vision of Hamas, which the world saw in Gaza - with murderers in black masks, and summary executions, and men thrown to their death from rooftops. By following this path, the Palestinian people would guarantee chaos, and suffering, and the endless perpetuation of grievance. … There's another option, and that's a hopeful option. It is the vision of [Fatah] President Abbas and Prime Minister Fayyad; it's the vision of their government; it's the vision of a peaceful state called Palestine as a homeland for the Palestinian people. … By following this path, Palestinians can reclaim their dignity and their future -- and establish a state of their own."

Pres. Bush has obscured that fact that party alliances are largely contingent on familial and ethnic loyalties. There are important linguistic, historic, and even physiognomic differences between members of the Hamas clan and the members of the Fatah clan. A 'Palestinian' is hardly more able to choose his party than a Tug Fork resident could choose to be a Hatfield or a McCoy. (So how can the persons referred to as 'Palestinian' be understood as constituting a national group?)

The facts of this rivalry are highly inconvenient for the Imperialists of Democracy.

Hamas and Fatah are called the political parties of the Palestinians; but since a 'Palestinian' is not able to choose his allegiance – or at least not safely, this system lacks the rational decision-making critical for democracy. The West, however, wants to claim that the Palestinians are democratic. And since they are democratic, they must believe that negotiation, compromise, and peaceful turnover of power are possible. And since they believe that negotiation, compromise, and peaceful turnover of power are possible, they must be able to negotiate, compromise, and make peace with Israel. So the reasoning goes. The Arab-Muslim world, however, has not shown itself willing to do this. Hamas, Fatah, and many other Arab-Muslim organizations, in fact, are committed to the destruction of Israel and fascinated by thought of murdering Jews. Maintaining the belief that the 'Palestinians' are democratic legitimates and supports this enemy of Israel.

Why do this?