Cluelessness 101

You can read the following in it's entirety over at National Review Online, and it would be difficult to find a more childish version discussing the implications of the Hamas victory in make-believe Palestine.

"Hamas’s favored outcome was not victory, but a strong showing that would leave Hamas with the best of both worlds: It would remain in opposition (or would be invited to join a coalition as a junior partner) but would impose severe limitations on the Fatah-led government on how to manage its relations with Israel. Hamas could thus claim to reject Oslo, decline to recognize the Palestinian Authority and its commitments under the Oslo accords and the roadmap, and continue to use its rising political clout and its military strength to sabotage any effort to revive the moribund peace process.
What victory does to Hamas is to put the movement into an impossible position. As preliminary reports emerge, Hamas has already asked Fatah to form a coalition and got a negative response.."

How incredibly naive. Hamas winning means they get the BEST of all possible worlds. They get to play act as if they are split along the lines of destroy Israel/negotiate with Israel, showing a kinder, gentler side. They blame the inflammatory rhetoric upon the old Hamas, not the brandy new Hamas that has just won a great victory and wants to show the world how marvelous they are. They wring their hands when talking to the clueless Euro's as they agonize over the militant minority within their ranks and get a LOT more funding to placate the killers. I am unfamiliar with the author Emanuele Ottolenghi, but it seems she teaches "Israel studies at Oxford University".

Figures.