Dr. Bjorn Brenner, a Middle East scholar at the Swedish Defense University, discusses his book Gaza Under Hamas: From Islamic Democracy to Islamic Governance.
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The point, I would think, of the 10 (?) year proffered truce by Hamas was that such truces were employed in what to Islamists are the golden years of history, providing cover internally for the gamble while giving time to work both on Israel and quite resistant members of Hamas and beyond. A lot could happen in 10 years; perhaps are frayed with more betrayal, but could it have been worse for the millions living there? Jimmy Carter said after 2006 that “we” must talk to Hamas. I’d like to think that he provides cover for charges of fellow traveling with terrorists.
Hamas, for whatever arcane reasons, changes it Charter to a potential indefinite coexistence with Israel. Israel decides to honor Abbas’ request to shut the electric grid of millions. I find Israel’s attitude inexplicable. Would it not have been better to refuse Abbas here, saying there are some things “we” should not do to a population eekking out subsistence, not flourishing in life? I have no doubt that Hamas’ network structure must at this point be quite crony infested, with daily cases of abuse and domination–and a criminal law structure that must be draconian. What else can one expect in a world not just zero sum but declining zero sum? The question is not solely what Hamas is but what “we” are.