The rot is showing

I lost huge amounts of any sympathy I might have had for the Palestinian people when they voted overwhelmingly for Hamas. My sympathy continues low when I read polls about their fervent belief that everything would be wonderful if they could just destroy Israel. I’d therefore be lying, if I said I feel sorry for them that they’re having problems with the Hamas government:

Hundreds of Palestinian policemen and security officers blocked all the routes to Gaza City on Thursday with rubbish bins and burning tires to demand their wages, which have been withheld for several months.

The policemen, some of whom were shooting in the air, toppled over several large bins and burned their contents. They also broke concrete blocks and spread the pieces all over the roads.

Most of the protesting police officers were part of the Palestinian Authority Preventive Security Force affiliated to Fatah and PA Chairman Mahmoud Abbas.

Until now, negotiations between Fatah and Hamas over the establishment of a PA unity government have failed. Hamas is refusing to accept the conditions set by the international community, including the recognition of Israel, and therefore, several donor nations have refused to renew the transfer of funds to the PA, leaving thousands of government workers unpaid.

“The motive for our protest is not political. We are motivated by the hunger of our children,” said one of the protestors.

I do understand that the problem is internecine fighting, and that the protestors are, in fact, not from the Hamas block, but are from Arafat’s Fatah.  It’s only in the perverted world of Palestinian politics, of course, that Fatah actually looks marginally decent, at least when held up against Hamas.  Still, none of the Palestinians seem to have figured out that, if they’d solve the problems in their own “house” and focus on creating a window of peace, their children would not be hungry.