Guardian: Hamas imposed discipline although it was suppression

Some double-talk from the Guardian:

Hamas has been widely recognised since it took power as having provided an effective and functioning central government address, albeit a controversial one. Hamas has largely restored law and order and effectively imposed discipline (and imposed a ceasefire while it was in fact being honoured) on both its own militia and that of other factions- the Palestinian Islamic Jihad, the Popular Resistance Committees, and Fatah, although in the case of the latter this has taken the form of political suppression.

Nice distinction that. In other analysis, the authors outline the "necessary steps":

There will be three necessary steps for securing the ceasefire: (1) getting both sides to immediately cease hostilities, (2) ensuring the IDF withdrawal and removing Israeli troops immediately from Palestinian population centres, (3) putting the broader ceasefire package in place which involves amongst other things, opening Gaza and preventing weapons getting in. [Neat trick--YG] Beyond that, of course, the underlying issues of the conflict and of the occupation will have to be addressed.

Don't you love that sort of analysis. Anything can be done if you break it into steps. I.e., to revive the decayed corpse of the peace process, (1) all the decayed limbs and organs will need to be regenerated, (2) the missing head will need to be located, and (3) the worms will have to give back everything they've eaten. And while I'm collecting incredible Guardian paragraphs, here is one crediting Sheikh Yassin with pragmatism and nuance:

Assassinated by the Israelis in 2004, Yassin was a pragmatist. Even as the Oslo peace process - which Hamas opposed - was dying and Hamas was sending suicide bombers to Israel, Yassin was also outlining a more nuanced vision. [Surpassing even the nuance of the Hamas charter, mentioned in the previous paragraph?--YG] While a final settlement with Israel could never be achieved, what was possible, said Yassin and later leaders, was a lengthy hudna - a generation-long cessation of hostilities with Israel, if Israel was prepared to end the occupation of the West Bank and Gaza and withdraw to the pre-1967 borders. The logic was simple. Yassin was convinced that one day Israel would fail or be defeated. But he believed, too, that that was the work for future generations.

Which isn't to say that their education couldn't begin immediately and their "work" almost immediately.

Crossposted on Soccer Dad