20 March 2007

Good news according to Guardian

First of all, it's quite some time since I had my teeth in Guardian's knee. Secondly, it is a rare case when a Guardian's (or, rather, The Observer's, if anyone cares) writer is in this win-win situation, when in one sentence she could both send a kiss the Palestinian way and deliver a kick on the shin (the second most painful kick in the female arsenal) to the Israeli government.

And all I need for illustration is this one sentence from the whole article:

The new, more moderate government installed in Palestine yesterday has not been recognised by Israel.
That's all, really. See how simple and elegant? On one hand we have a new and more moderate Palestinian government (it is clear to every rational person, isn't it?). On the other hand, we have these bloodthirsty recalcitrant Jooz who just do not see the hand of peace offered to them.

That "moderate" government is headed by Hamas, powered by Hamas and belongs to Hamas lock, stock and barrel. The honor of negotiating with Israel is left to Fatah people, true, but to what end? Who is going to accept, ratify and carry out any possible agreement between the powerless Fatah with its powerless chief and Israel? The same good old Hamas that does not give a hoot about any agreement and, in fact, continues to refuse even to consider recognising Israel. Demanding recognition for such government is a travesty, and any unbiased person with more than one brain cell can see it clearly. But these are, probably, two extraneous requirements in Guardian's HR recruitment forms.

Using a very lively imagery by a superb Russian author, the whole act of creation of this "moderate government" is akin to covering a pile of shit by some autumn leaves. Not that the leaves in this case are just some mere innocent leaves. At this point I just must pass the microphone to Akaky Akakievich Bashmachkin of The Passing Parade:
So let me get this straight: people are annoyed that the party that wants to destroy Israel won the elections against the other party that wants to destroy Israel, but won't actually come out and say so at the moment. Since everyone knew that the governing party that wants to destroy Israel but wont come out and say so really does want to destroy Israel whether they say so or not, why is everyone so concerned that the party that wants to destroy Israel won the election, since by definition both of the parties involved want to destroy Israel, except that the second party that wants to destroy Israel finds it politic at the moment not to mention that they want to destroy Israel just as much as the other party that wants to destroy Israel but has no qualms about bringing up the fact that they want to destroy Israel, unlike the party that wants to destroy Israel but doesnt want to come out and say that they want to destroy Israel. There is a theme here, isnt there, or have I missed something along the way?
This quote is still as true and vibrant as it was at the moment of its writing. And I promise to repeat it again and again in the hope that some of it (at least the "So let me get this straight " part) will register with some of the Guardian scribes.

Or is it too much to hope for?

P.S. Hamas has already done their best to provide some substance to the claim that the new government is more moderate:

Initial reports indicated that the man, identified as an Israel Electric Corporation worker about 40 years of age, sustained moderate injuries to his thigh and that his wounds were not life-threatening.
Indeed, Hamas is mellowing. In other times they would have killed him...

Just a reminder: most of electricity in Gaza is provided by the Israeli Electric Corporation.

And:

The 21-year-old Palestinian student was interrogated by Egyptian police and confessed he belonged to Hamas that intended to provide him with an explosive belt and instructions to cross into Israel...
In the olden times the student would have blown himself and the Egyptian policemen to smithereens. Now it is all moderate, moderate, moderate...

Cross-posted on Yourish.com

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