The Movement for Reform Judaism

The overwhelming victory of Hamas in the Palestinian elections is hugely perplexing.

Hana Siniora of the Israel Palestine Centre for Research and Information, a Christian East Jerusalemite, and publisher of The Jerusalem Times said: “The Hamas victory in the Palestinian elections may be a blessing in disguise. Now that they are in power, Hamas will have to take responsibility for the future. They will have to become more moderate. Now they are part of the democratic game and they will have to play by the democratic rules”. He went on: “There are two models of Islamic ruling parties — the radical Iranian model and the moderate Turkish model. I want to send a message to the United States, to Europeand to Israel. You have the means to shape Hamas in a constructive way. If you act correctly, then Hamas will move in the direction of moderation. But if you push Hamas into the corner, they will act irresponsibly and become violent”.

His colleague at IPCRI, Gershon Baskin, however, writes: “The election of Hamas put the final nail in the coffin … the road map of peace is dead. Phase 1 of the Road Map demands from the Palestinians to disarm the terrorist groups and the militia. Will Hamas disarm itself? Will the Hamas-run Ministry of Education introduce peace education text books in the schools responding to the international call to end incitement? Will Hamas end the policy of naming public squares, streets and buildings in the name of suicide bombers?”

Any progress along those lines would take years, says Baskin. Meanwhile, Israelwill act unilaterally, continue the process of withdrawal and attempt to wash its hands of the Palestinians beyond its new boundaries. “We cannot engage in dialogue with people who deny us the right to live and to self-determination. The political time-clock has been forced back some thirty years. I can see no hope,” concludes Baskin.

I am sure that most Jews tend towards Baskin’s pessimism rather than Siniora’s optimism. Seventy-three years ago a government was elected on a platform of exterminating Jews and most didn’t think they meant it. We won’t make that mistake again.

But if there is a shred of hope, it is alluded to by Siniora. It does look as though the key powers — Britain, Europe, Russiaand America— are prepared to take the situation seriously and defend the right of the State of Israel to exist. They seem at last to have realised with whom Israelis dealing. They have finally cottoned-on to the fact that some of Israel’s Palestinian opponents share the same ideology and mentality as the extremists in Afghanistan, Iraqand Iran.

Of course Israelhas made mistakes, but people who democratically elect suicide bombers are more than the product of local mistakes. If the ideology of violence and implacable resistance is to be seen as a response, it is certainly not a response to the Jewish dream of a land of our own but to something far more global.

Click here to read the Reform Movement’s Israel Election Updates"

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