Half the story - as usual

As Gaza is imploding, the AP just reported that State Department spokesman Sean McCormack said Israel had shown “great restraint” in exercising its right to self defense and warned Hamas it would never achieve a Palestinian state unless it chose peace and worked with Fatah.

How quickly the US government and our media forget (or cover up) history. Let us not forget that the Hamas government came into office as the direct consequence of an election the United States endorsed -- until we got a result we didn't like. Then, instead of seizing an opportunity to work with Hamas -- a group that arguably actually represents Palestinian ideals and intentions -- the USA and Israeli rushed to erect a cordon sanitaire around the Palestinians in order to financially choke them to death. Financial aid and taxes due were frozen in order to make it impossible for Hamas to operate.

Prior to the election in which Hamas came to power, Fatah was considered corrupt and incompetent and Hamas was valued (by Palestinians) as a better alternative. But because of their vocal hatred for Isarael and its decades-long occupation, Hamas and all Palestinians have been put into an impossible situation. Israel and the USA will accept no government in the Palestinian Territories that does not a priori endorse the status quo with respect to Israel and its control of territory. Israel and the USA will not accept any negotiation that does not in advance accept the Israeli position of whatever is to be negotiated.

Now, as internal political pressures resulting from the impossible existence that has been forced upon Palstinians leads to war between the factions, the propaganda organs of the US government issue nonsense like the above-quoted gem. And, when the whole situation blows up totally and there is sufficient chaos, we will most likely see (another) invasion by Israel followed by more pompous platitudes from our own government about why such an action is necessary, justified, and "restrained."