In No Uncertain Terms
Washington made a grave error in rejecting Israeli and Fatah warnings about Hamas's participation in the election. But the democratic legitimacy of Hamas does not whitewash the moral illegitimacy of its terrorism. A one-time vote by people acculturated to an ideology of violence, intolerance, and hatred does not make them a force for peace and stability. Hamas and all who support it must accept the consequences of their position--a cessation of aid from the West they want to attack. The clear message must be that terrorism will not pay. This means no more money for roads, water systems, classrooms, health clinics, and community centers. Nor must a cent go to pay administrators and security forces, especially since the latter have been turned over to Hamas by the perpetually weak Palestinian president, Mahmoud Abbas. Yes, Hamas presides over social welfare institutions and is relatively free of corruption, but as the New Republic put it: "Are they to be admired because they will murder but will not steal?"
Any humanitarian assistance we might give should be limited to food, water, and medicine. We must be careful to avoid fungibility whereby aid frees money for terrorism. We do not owe this group the means to lock up the entire Palestinian population in an internal prison while it prepares to make war on western civilization.
America must be careful about "democracy." It is not just about elections. It is a system of free and independent institutions. A naive advocacy of democracy without such institutions may open the way to our worst enemies, even though a new regime may replace nasty friends. There is, after all, a difference between a benign tumor and a malignant cancer. At this delicate moment, our policies must not pave the way for totalitarian enemies to replace authoritarian friends.
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