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Introducing Hamas - the new Likud
By <a href="mailto:bburston@haaretz.co.il" class="tUbl2">Bradley Burston</a>
 

Friday, 27 January (60 days to election day)



Presenting, the unthinkable.
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Ladies and Gentlemen, may we introduce ... Hamas - the new Likud.

It's 1977 all over again, People of Israel. Once again, everything we knew, is wrong.

Sound familiar? The party in power, the only party which has ever held power, the party which made a people, has shown itself to be bottomlessly corrupt. It has long been unresponsive to crying social needs. It has proven incapable of making peace. It is ineffectual at bringing its people security.

There is no end to the cronyism, the economic inequality, the graft, the hidebound, unwieldy construction of interlocking, profoundly anti-democratic institutions.

Then one day, voters who have swallowed and suffered this for decades, revolt. Overnight, a virtual one-party system is overturned in a stunning victory by a lean, clean, dynamic rival, a movement long shunned for a violent past and an unbending, maximalist take on who should own the entirety of the Holy Land.

If the stage of history is often lit by irony, the proximity of the implosion of the Likud and the rise of Hamas may hold lessons for us, and for Hamas as well.

In 1977, the Likud of Menachem Begin and Yitzhak Shamir was derided abroad - and by the left at home - as a group led by terror warlords, a movement with roots in armed wings that had engaged in bombings and cold-blooded shootings.

It was seen - incorrectly - as inexperienced in everything except opposition. It was seen - ingenuously, by the left - as little more than an outgrowth of the Irgun and Lehi, heirs to Deir Yassin, implacable in its opposition to sharing or ceding land.

It was on May 17, 1977 that Begin's Likud defeated Labor. Exactly six months and two days later, the first leader of an Arab nation to publicly set foot on Israeli soil - a man who had ordered his armies to attack Israel on Yom Kippur - shook Begin's hand and drove with him to Jerusalem, where he would address the Knesset the next day.

It was the Likud that would trade away every last inch of the Sinai desert - 89 percent of all the land mass captured in the 1967 war - in exchange for a peace treaty with Egypt.

It was the Likud, in what was effectively its last, arguably suicidal act as a political party, that would recast the nature of political discourse in Israel by leaving the Gaza Strip unilaterally.

Even if Anwar Sadat was fated to become a shahid for peace, his journey to Jerusalem suggests a broader concept: If both Israel and its Arab enemy can claim victory in the same war, they may both be able to leverage that claim into some form of peace.

There were analysts abroad who have called this week's Hamas victory "the end of unilateralism." It may, however, be just the beginning.

Whether it is or not, whether Israel will actually withdraw from more of the West Bank, will depend to a great extent on what Hamas decides its guns are for. If they are for attacking Israelis, no government in Jerusalem will be able to suggest a further pullback. But if the rifles are for keeping order, and for enforcing a truce, a withdrawal could well take place, and Hamas will be able to claim yet another victory.

Moreover, if calm is maintained, Israel will be able to claim another victory as well.

It won't be simple for either side. The grief over thousands of casualties is still fresh.

For Hamas, the ideological leap will be tremendous. Though some in Hamas have made noises about finding a way to live with the 1967 borders, the concession for them will be as painful as that of Begin's creed of Greater Israel, which originally called for a Jewish state in all of what is now Israel, as well as all of the territories and the present kingdom of Jordan.

How likely is the scenario that Hamas will see to calm in hopes of an Israeli withdrawal?

Just how likely a scenario is our present reality?

In a matter of 20 days, both Israel and Palestine have witnessed the passing of their founding generation, the generation that seemed capable of burying us all.

God is in the unexpected. Left to our own devices, our fossilized expectations, our unwillingness to believe in a better future, we?ll mess up His work every time.

Thank God that we can be so wrong.

_______________________________

Previous blogs:

Does Hamas still want you dead?
Sharon's big secret, our big lie
The heroin of Eretz Israel
Hamas 'R' Us
PROMOTION: Mamilla Hotel
Bookmark to del.icio.us  
 
Wiesel's petition
Nobel winner says he wouldn't cry if Ahmadinejad were killed , and has signed on it.
Heckling Michael Oren
Muslim students scream 'killer' during Israeli envoy's lecture at the University of California.
  1.   Hamas and Likud 03:17  |  JDyer 27/01/06
  2.   Madness 08:19  |  Choni 27/01/06
  3.   ONLY SOLUTION: REOCCUPY GAZA, W BANK, DESTROY TERROR, DECLARE PEA 09:24  |  LARISA OF MOCKBA 27/01/06
  4.   Re: ONLY SOLUTION: REOCCUPY GAZA, W BANK... 11:27  |  Lasting peace 27/01/06
  5.   With analogies one can prove always anything 11:37  |  Lasting Peace 27/01/06
  6.   Shame 12:06  |  Jay A Friedman 27/01/06
  7.   Israel`s non-partner policy... 12:36  |  Andy Murray 27/01/06
  8.   This foreigners advice is unilateral disengagement 12:41  |  bruce 27/01/06
  9.   Idiotic analogy 12:43  |  Dov 27/01/06
  10.   The Analogy... 12:46  |  Andy Murray 27/01/06
  11.   re #2 Madness 12:48  |  Simon David 27/01/06
  12.   nothing will change 12:48  |  nathan der weise 27/01/06
  13.   Did Abbas disarm anyone Andy? 13:04  |  bruce 27/01/06
  14.   This man does not understand who the Hamas is 13:10  |  Shalom Freedman 27/01/06
  15.   INTRODUCING THE ISLAMIC MURDERERS OF INNOCENT CHILDREN AND WOMEN 13:14  |  Bill 27/01/06
  16.   IS TREASON STILL ON THE STATUTES OF ISRAEL ?? 13:16  |  Bill 27/01/06
  17.   Advice for Bill 13:44  |  James Wirthmuller 27/01/06
  18.   #2 the Madness of Choni 13:50  |  Rustumzai 27/01/06
  19.   Larisa 13:53  |  Rustumzai 27/01/06
  20.   One state solution 14:58  |  Yossi Mahran 27/01/06
  21.   Wishful Thinking, BS Too 15:10  |  Yoram 27/01/06
  22.   Hamas and History 15:12  |  Stude Ham 27/01/06
  23.   to: JDyer 15:17  |  zmogus 27/01/06
  24.   Larisa 15:18  |  Utz 27/01/06
  25.   LIKUD and HAMAS...to Bradley Burston...the difference... 15:32  |  abraham...mico 27/01/06
  26.   Larissa and lasting peace 15:38  |  Mike 27/01/06
  27.   The 1947 Partion Plan`s Borders? 15:44  |  JOHANES Franzen 27/01/06
  28.   Perhaps now there really is a partner 15:45  |  Yaakov Sullian 27/01/06
  29.   2 IMPORTANT QUESTIONS - READ! 15:45  |  Z Lando 27/01/06
  30.   James Wirthmuller 15:47  |  Mike 27/01/06
  31.   I love it 15:53  |  Michael N 27/01/06
  32.   Hamas to Likud 15:57  |  Attila Kovacs 27/01/06
  33.   I love it #2 15:58  |  Michael N 27/01/06
  34.   Andy Murray`s analysis..cut and pasted right out of the pages of. 16:00  |  KJJ 27/01/06
  35.   Yoran..not ONE state, but 3 States... 16:03  |  KJJ 27/01/06
  36.   Yossi 16:19  |  p 27/01/06
  37.   Bill 15 16:22  |  p 27/01/06
  38.   New Era 16:24  |  FredA 27/01/06
  39.   Hamas is a theocratic movement ruled by religion 16:41  |  reason please 27/01/06
  40.   Hamas and The New Mid - East 16:42  |  johanes FRANZEN 27/01/06
  41.   #4, lasting peace 16:48  |  vladimir 27/01/06
  42.   To Larisa 16:50  |  Choni 27/01/06
  43.   Shame #6 and others 17:01  |  Greengage Plum 27/01/06
  44.   Hamas and Egypt. 17:05  |  David Nigel Braham 27/01/06
  45.   Bradley, the Benedict Arnold of Israel 17:10  |  pace306 27/01/06
  46.   Yoram #21 Begin, a fairly urbane man 17:11  |  Greengage Plum 27/01/06
  47.   mike of maryland 17:15  |  nathan der weise 27/01/06
  48.   KJJ ..another useless rant 17:20  |  Yossi Mahran 27/01/06
  49.   mike of maryland "they take out 18 women and children" 17:21  |  nathan der weise 27/01/06
  50.   mike of maryland "dropping artillery shells on populations" 17:22  |  nathan der weise 27/01/06
  51.   34 P from the US 17:26  |  Yossi Mahran 27/01/06
  52.   rustumzai 17:29  |  nathan der weise 27/01/06
  53.   #38 - Can`t hide his Jew Hatred 17:31  |  Dov 27/01/06
  54.   Post #38 Imposter 17:35  |  JOHANES Franzen 27/01/06
  55.   Will Hamas turn moderate? 17:40  |  Kyle 27/01/06
  56.   Best thing that ever happend in mid-east 17:41  |  uri kimelman 27/01/06
  57.   Franzen & `recognition` 17:59  |  Michael 27/01/06
  58.   #40 Choni 18:09  |  Rustumzai 27/01/06
  59.   fraNAZI at #38 18:25  |  Ari ben Yisrael 27/01/06
  60.   Yes Franzen, Yes!! 18:31  |  Michael 27/01/06
  61.   38 is the real franazis - see his anti jewish hate site 18:34  |  BM 27/01/06
  62.   No, it is 2001 again 18:35  |  Ben Gurion 27/01/06
  63.   It didn`t work the first time - Larisa 18:38  |  Mark Lincoln 27/01/06
  64.   Did you hear this from a voice in your head? 18:40  |  Mark Lincoln 27/01/06
  65.   franzi,the borders and nice hamas 19:02  |  BM 27/01/06
  66.   your questions are invalid #25 19:12  |  michael N 27/01/06
  67.   Disgusting! 19:37  |  Michael 27/01/06
  68.   Greenland 19:43  |  Jonathan Weiss 27/01/06
  69.   Ben Gurion, forced comparisons 20:33  |  Jake 27/01/06
  70.   I suspect it was more bread and butter issues 20:42  |  Mark Lincoln 27/01/06
  71.   ! 20:53  |  thr 27/01/06
  72.   2001 a Space Odyssey 21:03  |  Ben Gurion 27/01/06
  73.   To Joanes Franzen ( @ 25 ) 21:03  |  mary 27/01/06
  74.   HAMAS statements questionable Mark L 21:17  |  Jacob Blues 27/01/06
  75.   Bradley Burston 21:18  |  Ivo 27/01/06
  76.   To Yossi 21:21  |  John 27/01/06
  77.   Yaacov going all warm and fuzzy over HAMAS 21:22  |  Jacob Blues 27/01/06
  78.   There is Aother solution.Let divid the m.e to jews and muslims 21:31  |  e.m 27/01/06
  79.   to KKK from Toronto 21:33  |  John 27/01/06
  80.   To Uri from Haifa 21:39  |  John 27/01/06
  81.   They have flown #45! 21:50  |  Michael N 27/01/06
  82.   Haaretz - what`s wrong? 21:53  |  Ivo 27/01/06
  83.   #38--true colors revealed: thank you 21:54  |  Paul Freedman 27/01/06
  84.   Not Quite Burston 21:56  |  Danite 27/01/06
  85.   Hamas = The Old Palestinian Nazi Party 21:57  |  Chaim 27/01/06
  86.   Likud v. Hamas 22:25  |  David 27/01/06
  87.   People are clearly upset, as evidenced by jacobblue#75 22:46  |  Yaakov Sullivan 27/01/06
  88.   Movements change as they assume broader responsibilities 22:52  |  Yaakov Sullivan 27/01/06
  89.   Moments of Clarity 23:33  |  Andrew Saad 27/01/06
  90.   Yossi 23:36  |  p 27/01/06
  91.   Yaakov, did Molotov-Ribbentrop make Hitler a friend of Russia? 23:55  |  Jake 27/01/06
  92.   # 68- Mark Lincoln... I Suspect Mark... 00:03  |  Yoram 28/01/06
  93.   Jake #67; you are off by 2 years 00:19  |  Ben Gurion 28/01/06
  94.   Jake, more comparisons 00:53  |  Ben Gurion 28/01/06
  95.   Perspective 01:05  |  Ronnie Wolman 28/01/06
  96.   Perspective II 01:07  |  Ronnie Wolman 28/01/06
  97.   Ben Gurion, even the PA rejects this allegation 01:27  |  Jake 28/01/06
  98.   To Yossi Mahran 01:57  |  Saleina 28/01/06
  99.   Let there be peace 02:18  |  Maria 28/01/06
  100.   Jake #97; lost in the forest 02:20  |  Ben Gurion 28/01/06
  101.   COPY OF THE CHARTER, PLEASE 03:14  |  Rhamira 28/01/06
  102.   Well-stated 03:15  |  Paul 28/01/06
  103.   COPY OF THE CHARTER; PLEASE 03:20  |  Rhamira 28/01/06
  104.   Jake and Ben Gurion on Sharon 03:39  |  Ronnie Wolman 28/01/06
  105.   To Kjj in Toronto 03:51  |  Mike 28/01/06
  106.   "Undermining Abbas and Hamas" 03:54  |  Schlocky 28/01/06
  107.   To nathan 04:03  |  Mike 28/01/06
  108.   re: Disgusting! 04:16  |  michael from Michael 28/01/06
  109.   Greenland II 04:21  |  Michael 28/01/06
  110.   # 68- Mark Lincoln... I Suspect Mark... 04:43  |  Mike to Yoram, 28/01/06
  111.   Re: Jake, more comparisons 04:48  |  Mike 28/01/06
  112.   Hamas 05:13  |  H. Cittone 28/01/06
  113.   John Haaretz is a Jewish,Zionist newspaper... 06:46  |  KJJ 28/01/06
  114.   LOL 07:38  |  Mohammed 28/01/06
  115.   Brad is Haaretz`s Best - Jeez, that is Scary! 07:41  |  tod zuckerman 28/01/06
  116.   mike compare the slaughter in iraq 08:10  |  nathan der weise 28/01/06
  117.   mike do you have cbs video clips of the pakistani children 08:15  |  nathan der weise 28/01/06
  118.   mike of maryland 08:25  |  nathan der weise 28/01/06
  119.   please remember 09:49  |  osh 28/01/06
  120.   Nobel Peace Prize to Hamas 14:17  |  Ben-Gurion 28/01/06
  121.   hamas and likud 14:31  |  Lev Cherkasski 28/01/06
  122.   Introducing Hamas - the new Likud 15:10  |  samuel 28/01/06
  123.   Ben Gurion 15:48  |  Ben Gurion 1 28/01/06
  124.   Hamas 16:39  |  Lee 28/01/06
  125.   Osh by Gosh 16:56  |  Ronnie Wolman 28/01/06
  126.   To Lee in Clearwater: An American to the Bitter End 16:56  |  David James Vickery 28/01/06
  127.   Nobel Peace Prize to Hamas - Ben Groin from Belarus 17:29  |  Mark Lincoln 28/01/06
  128.   not at all incisive, clever, or profound 17:33  |  Dror 28/01/06
  129.   You should be ashamed 17:34  |  Ari 28/01/06
  130.   Disgusting 19:29  |  Jeffrey 28/01/06
  131.   Hamas response to David 22:37  |  Lee 28/01/06
  132.   To LEE (what men should teach) 23:59  |  mary 28/01/06
  133.   One State Solution 00:08  |  Coyote Jack 29/01/06
  134.   Introducing Hamas - the new Likud 00:29  |  ralph 29/01/06
  135.   a fake Ben Gurion 00:42  |  Ben Gurion 29/01/06
  136.   Ben Gurion 1 00:47  |  Ben Gurion 29/01/06
  137.   My take on the analogy 01:03  |  JL 29/01/06
  138.   Likud = Hamas?! 01:16  |  Dan N 29/01/06
  139.   Too clever by half 01:20  |  Aron Tannenbaum 29/01/06
  140.   Unemployment and Ben Gurion 01:26  |  Mark Lincoln 29/01/06
  141.   philistine 1 01:31  |  Philistine 29/01/06
  142.   Noble Pizza Prize to Angelo`s = 01:33  |  Mark Lincoln 29/01/06
  143.   Likud = Hamas 01:36  |  Mark Lincoln 29/01/06
  144.   Dear KKK from Toronto 01:37  |  John 29/01/06
  145.   The people of the book become the no name or everyname people 01:49  |  Ronnie Wolman 29/01/06
  146.   John - Haaretz 02:47  |  Mark Lincoln 29/01/06
  147.   Ronnie, the old practice of psuedoepigrahpy 02:52  |  Mark Lincoln 29/01/06
  148.   Mark (Abe) Lincoln 03:30  |  Ronnie Wolman 29/01/06
  149.   optimists/ pessimists & an other islamic revolution 03:35  |  marcthecolin 29/01/06
  150.   ONE STATE SOLUTION - #24 04:32  |  LARISA OF MOCKBA 29/01/06
  151.   HaMas, Likud, the Irgun and the Stern gang. 04:55  |  J 29/01/06
  152.   John , the deluded...the Jewish writers living in Israel would be 04:56  |  KJJ 29/01/06
  153.   REOCCUPY, MAKE ONE ONE STATE FOR PEACE LOVING! UPROOT HAMAS, FATH 05:02  |  LARISA to LASTING#3 29/01/06
  154.   HaMas, Likud, the Irgun and the Stern gang. 05:07  |  J. Waldbott 29/01/06
  155.   ONLY SOLUTION IS ONE STATE! THOSE ARABS THAT SWEAR LOYALTY CAN BE 06:07  |  LARISA to LASTING#4 29/01/06
  156.   ARMAGGEDON NOW CAUSED BY IRAN. I PROPOSE PEACE: ARABS OPPOSED TO 06:20  |  LARISA TO RUSTMZI#19 29/01/06
  157.   JEWS IN "ONE STATE" HAVE 2 SOLUTIONS: READ MY POSTS #153,155 06:46  |  LARISA TO MIKE#24 29/01/06
  158.   You must be crazy to ever talk to Hamas 06:46  |  Cohen - A Jew 29/01/06
  159.   PALESTINIANS SHOULD NOT BE LIMITED TO ARAB STATES: CAN GO TO CANA 06:57  |  LARISA TO CHONI#42 29/01/06
  160.   IT DID WORK, MARK, UNTIL PALEST. WERE OFFERED AUTONOMY: INTIFADA 07:08  |  LARISA TO MARK #63 29/01/06
  161.   Correct! Hamas rejectionist = Likud rejectionist 08:17  |  Nael 29/01/06
  162.   I CAN`T DISAGREE WITH YOU. READY TO JOIN YOU IN ISRAEL`S ARMY TO 08:51  |  LARISA TO COYOTEJACK 29/01/06
  163.   Got To Figure This One Out Quickly! 09:33  |  Sam the Sham 29/01/06
  164.   Bradley Burston 12:11  |  Baruch 29/01/06
  165.   Hamas new Likud 17:38  |  Hilda 29/01/06
  166.   What part dont you understand ? 18:21  |  Frank 29/01/06
  167.   introducing Hamas - the new Likud 19:33  |  Eva Pfeiffer 29/01/06
  168.   I Can`t Believe It 05:59  |  Scott 30/01/06
  169.   What Garbage 06:53  |  An Israeli Taxpayer 30/01/06
  170.   One state solution 05:53  |  Beej 02/02/06
  171.   Relocate to Canada? 09:16  |  Manuel 07/02/06
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