Gary Fitleberg, December 15, 2004

British Foreign Secretary Jack Straw criticized the terrorist group Hamas for its plans to boycott elections to choose Yasser Arafat's successor for the position of "Chairman of Terror" of the Fatah controlled and dominated Palestinian Authority/Palestine Liberation Organization (PA/PLO), and for Sunday's attack on an Israel Defense Forces checkpoint in the southern Gaza Strip, in which five soldiers were killed.

Straw said Hamas could "disrupt the electoral process and damage democratic ‘Palestinian’ causes" by not participating in the January 9 election for a new Arab Palestinian Authority chairman.

"It is utterly cynical of Hamas to boycott these elections," Straw said.

"It would not even serve their real purpose, which is trying to improve the lot of poor ‘Palestinians’, were they to succeed in this disruption."

It is utterly cynical and hypocritical that Straw criticized Hamas although he seems to have finally obtained a spark of truth and wisdom.

Gary Fitleberg is a Political Analyst specializing in International Relations with emphasis on Middle East affairs.

Copyright © 2004 Gary Fitleberg