where he doesn't have to put up with the inconveniences the residents of Palestine have to deal with.

Lucky for him, there is no peace process. He'd be fucked. He'd have to find a real job. Maybe he'd even have to come to the U.S. and start a christian fundie church.

That they're not antisemitic.

the ELECTED government of Gaza. Another terrorist praising terrorism.

Instead, I sometimes read comments suggesting that terrorism is understandable under the circumstances which seems antithetical to progressive values.

it annoys me they give the right the ammunition needed to call the left weak on terrorists. The only answer I have is that Bill Maher was right.

Whatever it is - they have a very effective PR campaign that works especially well.

that sympathize with the Palestinians haven't moved, bds is an utter failure in the US - not one major company has joined and no elected officials have called for it. They're a vocal, very small minority who think somehow Americans are going to ignore the daily stabbings and calls for more terrorism because they don't like bibi. They don't live in the world of reality.

I used to pretty much stay off the I/P board but I got tired of them thinking they spoke for Democrats. They need to be reminded - often and loudly - that they represent a very small minority and that both sides of the I/P issue have their heroes and villains.

I think the results would show a great deal more support for the BDS side than not.

I could be wrong though.

but like I said, DU in no way represents the Democratic party. Part of the party, yes, but a minority. Though I'm seeing more pro-I people posting every day on here. Perhaps for the same reason I do. Meanwhile, I went to a Channukkah party on Sunday and now I have pink eye. Haven't had that since I was a child.

We are talking about a particular subgroup within the party who finds this person to be a praiseworthy figure.

These are people who generally identify as being liberal and progressive which is why it is perplexing to me that they seem to be supportive of folks who espouse views that are neither liberal nor progressive.

ignores that the Palestinians - and many other Muslim controlled countries - are not in any way, shape or form anything any REAL liberal who cares about human rights would support is a stain they'll never remove. Just one more reason they don't get the support they think they deserve. And as long as they keep up rocket attacks and stabbings, it just give bibi all the ammunition he needs to plead self defense. THEY got bibi elected. When people are afraid, they go right wing. We see it happening in Europe right now and it's why Trump is doing so well with the gop base.

And thus are able to present a persuasive argument for their case (at least to some folks) in spite of evidence to the contrary.

story, it's easy to fool people.

From Democracy Now:

In the Occupied Territories, unofficial results indicate Hamas has won a sweeping victory in the first Palestinian parliamentary elections in a decade. Israel and the United States have said they would not deal with a Palestinian Authority that includes Hamas. We speak with Mouin Rabbani, senior Middle East analyst with the International Crisis Group about the surprise result. [includes rush transcript]

http://www.democracynow.org/2006/1/26/hamas_wins_sweeping_victory_in_palestinian

From The New York Times

PALESTINIAN LANDSLIDE: THE ELECTIONS; HAMAS ROUTS RULING FACTION

The radical Islamic party Hamas scored an overwhelming victory in Wednesday's Palestinian legislative elections, taking 76 out of 132 seats, deposing the former governing Fatah party, which won only 43 seats.

http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9E01EFDB113FF934A15752C0A9609C8B63&pagewanted=all

From The Washington Post:

Hamas Sweeps Palestinian Elections, Complicating Peace Efforts in Mideast

RAMALLAH, West Bank, Jan. 26 -- The radical Islamic movement Hamas won a large majority in the new Palestinian parliament, according to official election results announced Thursday, trouncing the governing Fatah party in a contest that could dramatically reshape the Palestinians' relations with Israel and the rest of the world.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/01/26/AR2006012600372.html

same comparison

A parliamentary system is a system of democratic governance of a state in which the executive branch derives its democratic legitimacy from, and is held accountable to, the legislature (parliament); the executive and legislative branches are thus interconnected.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parliamentary_system

In America, we have what is called a "presidential system"

A presidential system is a system of government where a head of government is also head of state and leads an executive branch that is separate from the legislative branch. The United States, for instance, has a presidential system.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Presidential_system

Understand the difference?

the claim that the people of Gaza elected Hamas to rule them is demonstrably false

In a presidential system the legislative and executive branches are separate.

In a parliamentary system they are interconnected. The legislative elections determine the head of government.

of both houses of congress. You don't think that's relevant?

to control 1/3 of our government. A branch that is equal to the Executive branch. Sounds like you don't really understand how the US government works.

the POTUS has veto power over the legislative branch

They can also override his veto so they do get the last word. And if the supreme court finds what the President is doing is unconstitutional, they can stop him also (as what could have happened with the ACA). You don't seem to understand that, by design, the executive branch is the WEAKEST of the 3 branches.

What this has to do with hamas getting the most votes is beyond me.

that hamas didn't win the election in 2006? Because that's not what it says right here:

Elections for the second Palestinian Legislative Council (PLC), the legislature of the Palestinian National Authority (PNA), were held on 25 January 2006. The result was a victory for Change and Reform (Hamas), who won with 74 seats of the 132 seats, whilst the ruling Fatah won just 45. In terms of votes received, Change and Reform took 44.45% of the vote, whilst Fatah received 41.43%[1] and of the Electoral Districts, Change and Reform party candidates received 41.73% and Fatah party candidates received 36.96%. The parliament was inaugurated on 18 February 2006.[2]

The Prime Minister, Ahmed Qurei, resigned, but at the request of President Mahmoud Abbas, remained as interim Prime Minister until 19 February 2006, when Change and Reform and Hamas leader Ismail Haniya formed a new government.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Palestinian_legislative_election,_2006


The fact they took further control and refuse to hold elections is what happens when you elect a terrorist organization.

your own links disprove your claim that the people of Gaza elected Hamas to rule them- the ruling party was Fateh who won the Presidential election in 2005 just as the Democratic party was elected as leaders in 2012

See the information above.

You seem confused about how the US elects its leaders vs. how countries with parliamentary systems do.

Obviously the people of Gaza elected Hamas to rule them. That is how a parliamentary system works. The party that gets the most seats in parliament (Hamas) gets to choose the head of government.

which is 1/3 of our government. Why are you determined to ignore that?

They don't have the separation between legislative and executive branches like we do.

Can you just concede you are wrong here and be willing to learn something?

I don't understand your resistance to accepting basic facts.

as is claimed here

I don't know why you're denying that.

as at the time they were riled by the same Palestinian government

it's OBVIOUS (to everyone but you apparently) that hamas who was chosen to lead them. I know it's not easy to admit they elected a terrorist organization but those are the facts.

RAMALLAH, West Bank, March 29 — The new Palestinian prime minister, Ismail Haniya, and his cabinet were sworn in Wednesday, formally putting the Islamic movement Hamas in charge of the Palestinian Authority and marking an almost total break in the government's contact with Israel.

http://www.nytimes.com/2006/03/30/international/middleeast/30palestinians.html?_r=0

Time to move on to another argument.

control one branch and the gop controls another - and 5 of the 9 supreme court justices were nominated by a gop president so technically, they control that branch as well - each branch co-equal . Do you not understand how the US government works?

and despite 5 of 9 Supreme court judges being nominated by GOP POTUS's (you seem to need to break it down further for some reason) they voted that marriage inequality was unconstitutional

vote could have gone either way and there was nothing the President could do about that. The executive branch is the WEAKEST branch and it was designed that way. The congress can also override any presidential veto with enough votes.

nothing more or less

citizens united. And there was nothing the President could do about that either.

except perhaps as a distraction?

You're the one trying to compare the US government to the Palestinian government and you're accusing me of distraction? That's rich, even for you. You can whine all you want that getting the most votes doesn't mean winning an election but I'm not sure who you think you're fooling with that nonsense.

Again, this is not how it works in other countries.

in any event Hamas was not elected to rule Gaza

Maybe go check out the Wikipedia links and also the news articles from 2006 that I have provided from you on this thread.

It is no shame to admit that you made a mistake and learn some new information and move forward.

to have the most seats in their government for......what? To throw them a party?

It's getting ridiculous

I know that this poster is especially fond of Wikipedia as a go-to source.

in the election in 2006. You keep saying they weren't voted in but that's simply not true.

From Wikipedia:

2006 elections and Hamas-government

Tensions between Fatah and Hamas intensified after Hamas won the elections of 2006 and the international community increased the pressure on the Palestinian Authority. Hamas won the 2006 legislative election. As a result of the Hamas led government's refusal to commit to nonviolence, recognition of the state of Israel, and acceptance of previous agreements, Israel, the Middle East Quartet (United States, Russia, United Nations, and European Union), several Western states, and the Arab states imposed sanctions suspending all foreign aid.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fatah–Hamas_conflict_(2006–07)

Palestinian legislative election, 2006

Elections for the second Palestinian Legislative Council (PLC), the legislature of the Palestinian National Authority (PNA), were held on 25 January 2006. The result was a victory for Change and Reform (Hamas), who won with 74 seats of the 132 seats, whilst the ruling Fatah won just 45. In terms of votes received, Change and Reform took 44.45% of the vote, whilst Fatah received 41.43%[1] and of the Electoral Districts, Change and Reform party candidates received 41.73% and Fatah party candidates received 36.96%. The parliament was inaugurated on 18 February 2006

The Prime Minister, Ahmed Qurei, resigned, but at the request of President Mahmoud Abbas, remained as interim Prime Minister until 19 February 2006, when Change and Reform and Hamas leader Ismail Haniya formed a new government.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Palestinian_legislative_election,_2006

Palestinian Authority Government of March 2006

The Palestinian Authority Government of March 2006 was a government of the Palestinian National Authority from 29 March 2006 to 17 March 2007, led by Ismail Haniyeh. After winning the democratic elections on 25 January, Hamas formed a cabinet of mostly Hamas members and in addition four independents. It was the first Hamas-led PNA government in the Occupied Palestinian Territories. Fatah and other factions refused to join Hamas in a government

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Palestinian_Authority_Government_of_March_2006

Is any of that helpful at all?

of how congress can overrule a Presidential request for funds (or anything else):

http://freebeacon.com/issues/congress-rejects-obama-move-to-restore-funding-for-anti-israel-u-n-group/

Congress has rejected a request by the Obama administration to restore U.S. funding for a United Nations organization long criticized for its anti-Israel bias, according to sources on Capitol Hill.

The Washington Free Beacon disclosed earlier this week that the Obama administration was pressuring lawmakers on Capitol Hill to restore around $80 million in annually funding to the U.N. Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization, otherwise known as UNESCO.

Taxpayer funding to the organization was slashed in 2011 after UNESCO accepted Palestine as a member state, a move that violated U.S. law barring the funding of any U.N. group that skirts the peace process by prematurely admitting Palestine as a full member nation.


The power of the purse is with the legislative branch, not the executive branch.

He has no fuck to give for Israeli's or the young men and women who are killed in his murderous jihad.