Hamas Rebellion Might Just Serve Us Well

A young man named Yousef emerged from the quick and bloody Gaza civil war and spoke for most Palestinians:

"Today everybody is with Hamas because Hamas won the battle. If Fatah had won the battle they'd be with Fatah. We are a hungry people, we are with whoever gives us a bag of flour and a food coupon. Me, I'm with God and a bag of flour."

Under Yousef's school of foreign policy, America and Bush are the big losers in Gaza. If it's flour they're looking for, it's flour we did not give them -- and flour they won't get, since we are pledged not to support Hamas.

So it seems that Bush's pledge of a few years back see Palestine and Israel living in peace is now positively Shrek-like: Far, far away. But there might be a silver lining, as Glenn Kessler points out in a WaPo piece that's very critical of Bush (surprised?). The separation of Palestine into Gaza and the West Bank is very convenient.

We can aid Abbas without a dime going to Hamas.

There's no Israeli settlements in Gaza, so Israel can talk to Fatah and blow Hamas off.

With no Fatah around to give Hamas reason to at least pretend to moderate, the world and the hapless residents of Gaza can see what happens when terrorists rule.

Yes, this is definitely not what Bush hoped to see in the Middle East -- but it may be our best hope yet to find a path through this briar patch.