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Gazans Suffer, and Israel Is Not the Reason

(McClatchy) Joel Brinkley - For Hamas, the radical Islamic terrorist group that seized control of Gaza in 2007, the long-term pursuit of a political impossibility trumps even the slightest concern for the welfare of the group's 1.5 million "constituents." I have interviewed the leaders of Hamas many times over the years, and all of them offered one consistent refrain: We are patient. Our resistance will continue as long as it takes - even centuries - until we reach our goal, full control of Palestine. Of course, that includes the State of Israel. The majority of Gazans I have met want to live peaceful lives and provide for their children. Now, a growing number - half the population, according to recent polls - is trying to get out of Gaza to escape from Hamas control and the deprivation that comes from its rule. A year after the Israeli invasion of Gaza, it's time to stop blaming Israel for the desperate plight of Gaza's people. Now, without question, it's Hamas' fault. The writer, a former Pulitzer Prize-winning foreign correspondent for the New York Times, is a professor of journalism at Stanford University.
2009-12-25 08:09:39
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