
 |
|
February 10, 2012
Lisa M. Krieger: Man with defibrillator demands access to his own heart's information
David G. Savage: Why activists may not be in a hurry to have High Court rule on alternative marriage
February 9, 2012
Laura McMullen: 10 Least Expensive Public Schools for Out-of-State Students
Kimberly Palmer: How to actually enjoy -- relaxing, financially -- your vacation
February 8, 2012
Warren Richey: Why momentous Prop. 8 ruling might not satisfy gay-rights groups
Menachem Wecker: Though Controversial, LL.M.'s Can Lead to Specialized Legal Jobs
The Kosher Gourmet byDana Velden: Going to the bother of making soup? You know it better be good. This CREAM OF TOMATO SOUP certainly is! And it's a cinch to make, too (Includes techinques and serving secrets)
February 7, 2012
Frank J. Gaffney, Jr.: Caught off-guard? President's Super Bowl interview with Matt Lauer gives those who need a reason not to vote for him, a darn good one
Suzanne Bohan: Leaping lizards! Tiny reptiles advancing robot design
February 6, 2012
Jonathan Tobin: Iran Threatens Israel With Destruction, But the New York Times Doesn't Hear It
Jeffrey Fleishman: In newly democratic Egypt, tens of democracy activists jailed, to stand trial; their groups are 'threatening the stability of the homeland'
Julie Deardorff : Researchers say antioxidants may not be that effective and could do more harm than good
Mark Clayton: How did Anonymous hackers eavesdrop on FBI and Scotland Yard?
February 3, 2012
Edmund Sanders : Israeli official says Iran is creating missile that could reach East Coast of US
Victoria Kim: Immigrant-smuggling ring used black drivers to avoid racial profiling
February 2, 2012
Jim Carney: Wrong number call may have saved her life
Reza Kahlili : Ex-CIA spy in Iran's Revolutionary Guard: What Obama doesn't grasp about striking deals with Tehran
Tina Susman: For woodchuck rescuer, every day is Groundhog Day
February 1, 2012
Brian Bennett: US officials see increasing threat of domestic attack from Iran
Emily Brandon: How to Take Advantage of New 401(k) Fee Disclosures
January 31, 2012
January 30, 2012
Paul Richter and Ramin Mostaghim: Misreading Teheran's limits -- deadly and economically devastating as they may be -- is a risk administration, Europe seem willing to take
Suzanne Bohan: Warning: Nap-deprived tots missing more than sleep, study finds
Meg Handley: Banks Revamping Rewards Programs to Woo Customers
January 27, 2012
Caroline B. Glick: Obama: Of course I intend to prevent a nuclear holocaust . . . in a few months
Yochonon Donn: In liberal New York City, fervently-Orthodox Jews may soon be getting a district to call their own
Jeannine Stein: An inflated ego and thinking you're 'all that' doesn't just make others sick of you, it can make you ill
Katy Hopkins: New budget rules may affect how much money you get for college
January 26, 2012
Ed Koch: To the New York Times, calling for the murder of Jews by those capable of having their incitement taken seriously isn't news
Jeannine Stein: Mental illness struck one in five U.S. adults in 2010: Report
January 25, 2012
Richard Simon: House passes two bills endorsing the use of religious symbols at military memorials
Fred Weir: Putin: Multiethnic Russia cannot survive as a US-style 'melting pot'; must find its own way
Susan Johnston: 5 Sneaky Coupon Strategies Consumers Should Watch Out For
January 24, 2012
Carol Clark: The price of your soul: How your brain decides whether to 'sell out'
Caroline B. Glick: America lost most in 'Arab Spring'. Sadly, many voters still don't grasp the extent
Warren Richey: Drug criminal scores win in GPS ruling from conservative-leaning high court
Erika Bolstad: Black conservatives gather to talk about gaining strength
January 23, 2012
Melissa Dribben: Jewish voters to play a key role in Florida's Republican primary
Jordan Rau: In quest to grow, Catholic hospital system will announce this morning its break from church
Ali Safi: U.S. envoy gives Taliban terms for peace talks
January 19, 2012
January 18, 2012
January 17, 2012
Frank J. Gaffney Jr.: No-kidding red lines: U.S. response to an Iranian nuke may be bluster, but Israel's won't be
David G. Savage: They sued their principals after slandering them online --- now the cases are headed to the Supreme Court
David Francis: Where to Invest in 2012: With stocks expected to rebound, opportunity abounds for investors
January 13, 2012
Ben Lynfield: Israeli lawmakers move to annex Jewish Judea, one museum at a time
Alexia Elejalde-Ruiz: Thriving through touch: Gentle massage helps older people with low mobility improve in mind and body
January 12, 2012
Warren Richey: Landmark Supreme Court ruling a 'resounding win' for religious groups
Warren Richey: Supreme Court says no to new rule on eyewitness testimony
John Fauber : Statins found to raise diabetes risk in postmenopausal women
Katy Hopkins : Consider This Before You Pay for an Online Degree
The Kosher Gourmet by Joseph Erdos: This mushroom and barley soup has an intense -- almost nutty -- flavor that mixes robust with Middle East. It has creaminess without cream
January 11, 2012
Shari Roan: Millions of atrial fibrillation sufferers at risk for devastating, but preventable, stroke
Tom Hussain: Pakistan -- recipient of more than $21 billion in civilian and military aid -- speeds pursuit of Iranian pipeline, defying US
David G. Savage: High court signals it won't be loosening TV's 'indecency' rules
Stephen Ceasar: Oklahoma's Islamic law amendment can't go into effect, court rules
January 10, 2012
Reza Kahlili: From an ex-CIA spy: US must exploit new split in Iran's Revolutionary Guard
Karen Kaplan: Study: Nicotine replacement products ineffective when used in real-life situations
January 9, 2012
Michael Doyle: Put through legal hell over dream home, couple fought back hard --- all the way to Supreme Court
|
| |
Jewish World Review
Jan. 26, 2006
/ 26 Teves, 5766
In Palestine, democracy in action gives majority vote to terrorist group
By
Joel Greenberg
Olmert's peace partner will now have to answer to Hamas, which refuses to alter its charter regarding destruction of Israel
JewishWorldReview.com | (KRT)
ABLUS
Hamas made a strong showing in the first Palestinian parliamentary elections in a decade Wednesday, according to exit polls, raising the prospect that it could enter a government with the ruling Fatah party and become a significant force in the Palestinian Authority.
Official results were expected Thursday, but the polls reflected a sweeping change in the Palestinian political landscape that could pose a diplomatic dilemma for the Bush administration and complicate peace efforts.
The election was the first national vote contested by Hamas, presenting voters a competitive choice between the two major forces in Palestinian politics, a choice they did not have in a presidential election last year won by Mahmoud Abbas.
Coming 12 years after the creation of the Palestinian Authority, the vote was also an opportunity to take stock of Fatah's performance, and the results reflected widespread discontent with a party seen to be riddled with corruption and cronyism. Hamas ran a clean-government campaign, calling its slate Change and Reform.
Voter turnout was 78 percent of the 1.3 million eligible voters, election officials said.
The possible entry of Hamas into the Palestinian government could create difficulties with Israel and the Bush administration that could hamper any attempts to revive peace talks.
Hamas' charter calls for the destruction of Israel, and it is listed by the United States and the European Union as a terrorist organization. The group has killed scores of Israelis in suicide bombings and other attacks but it has suspended the bombings since a truce was declared a year ago.
Although Hamas projected a more pragmatic image during the campaign, the group's top parliamentary candidate, Ismail Haniyeh, said the organization has no intention of laying down its arms after the elections, as Abbas has urged. Another leading candidate, Mahmoud Zahar, said the group is "not going to change a single word" in its charter.
The so-called Quartet of Middle East mediators, made up of the United Nations, the European Union, the United States and Russia, said last month that any new Palestinian Cabinet should not include officials who support violence or reject Israel's right to exist, an indirect reference to Hamas.
"We do not deal with Hamas," White House spokesman Scott McClellan said Wednesday. "Hamas is a terrorist organization. Under current circumstances I don't see any change in that."
Abbas has argued that by bringing Hamas into politics it can be moved away from violence and that there would be no need for its armed wing once it enters parliament.
"We are entering a new phase," Abbas said after Wednesday's vote. "In this phase we hope that the international community will help us return to the negotiating table" with Israel.
Hamas spokesman Mushir al-Masri, a candidate for a parliamentary seat, said Hamas is seeking a "new phase of political partnership and unity" with other Palestinian factions.
After the exit poll results were announced, supporters of both Fatah and Hamas claimed victory, firing guns in the air to celebrate in the West Bank and Gaza Strip. In Gaza City, banner-waving Fatah supporters fired rifles out of car windows and honked car horns as they drove through the streets. There were similar scenes in Ramallah.
The celebrations capped a day in which Palestinians streamed to polling stations to cast their votes, with few reported disruptions. Some 13,500 police secured the balloting and enforced a weapons ban.
Nearly 20,000 local observers and 950 international monitors, led by former President Jimmy Carter, followed the vote, pronouncing it generally trouble-free.
Every weekday JewishWorldReview.com publishes what many in the media and in Washington consider must-reading.
Sign up for the daily JWR update. It's free. Just click here.
Comment by clicking here.
© 2006, Chicago Tribune Distributed by Knight Ridder/Tribune Information Services
|