As for being held hostage, that is a strange way to look at it. How about we place a border around whatever city you live in? yes you still have a mayor and government representation but they didn't put the border up, Does that mean that you are being held as a hostage by them? at least you, presumably, have the right to leave if you so chose, they don't. And why would you leave your house/land/job/family? why would they? why should they?
As for electing terrorists, Hamas is a political party with a militant wing; but they also have built up an extensive network of social and civic services(schools, clinics, day care centers, etc) a network that the previous Fatah led government was unable or unwilling to provide, probably due to rampant corruption. As an atheist i am against any and all mixing of religion and government (something that i would most likely not be at liberty to say in Gaza). I also recognize that in a two party system you often end up electing the lesser of two evils, and at the time Hamas must have seemed like the more capable governing force.
And with regards to Israel deciding that they hated Palestinians... that is very much the case. Long before the recent violence, Long before the Intifadas, even before Hamas was as significant player, Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza strip lived as second class citizens under Israeli occupation. Schools, medical centers, civil and social services were underfunded and understaffed, they were taxed without representation, local elections were either deferred indefinitely or otherwise rigged, local industry was suppressed.(sounds like conditions in the 13 colonies in 1775). I was there, i saw, i experienced. I have felt the hatred.
Slashdot Mirror
Gaza borders Egypt, but the border is still part of the "Buffer Zone" and legal crossing are still mediated by Israeli Border Police
see:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/...
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/...
As for being held hostage, that is a strange way to look at it. How about we place a border around whatever city you live in? yes you still have a mayor and government representation but they didn't put the border up, Does that mean that you are being held as a hostage by them? at least you, presumably, have the right to leave if you so chose, they don't. And why would you leave your house/land/job/family? why would they? why should they?
As for electing terrorists, Hamas is a political party with a militant wing; but they also have built up an extensive network of social and civic services(schools, clinics, day care centers, etc) a network that the previous Fatah led government was unable or unwilling to provide, probably due to rampant corruption. As an atheist i am against any and all mixing of religion and government (something that i would most likely not be at liberty to say in Gaza). I also recognize that in a two party system you often end up electing the lesser of two evils, and at the time Hamas must have seemed like the more capable governing force.
And with regards to Israel deciding that they hated Palestinians... that is very much the case. Long before the recent violence, Long before the Intifadas, even before Hamas was as significant player, Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza strip lived as second class citizens under Israeli occupation. Schools, medical centers, civil and social services were underfunded and understaffed, they were taxed without representation, local elections were either deferred indefinitely or otherwise rigged, local industry was suppressed.(sounds like conditions in the 13 colonies in 1775). I was there, i saw, i experienced. I have felt the hatred.