Re: Look at a map

No, I'm sorry, that's rubbish. A democratic process would involve all elements of society, not just Hamas. Nor are Hamas unamenable to a democratic state - they have recently accepted far less. I know it's a different case, but for years Sinn Fein had a much more intransigent attitude to power sharing, before it was brought into the peace process. “Clan” or Hamula loyalties are not necessarily an alternative to democracy. They can provide solidarity, mediation, welfare, and local representation. Democracy does not require people to abandon family, religious, regional, or communal identities. It requires that those identities operate within a system of equal citizenship, competitive elections, independent courts, accountable security forces, free media, and transparent public administration. Recent Palestinian public-opinion research shows that many Palestinians still value democracy while also wanting effective leadership and stability. The strongest potential candidate for the Presidency of a democratic Palestine is Marwan Barghouti, who is very much in favour of democracy. If the Israelis were in favour of democracy they would release him. They keep him in jail precisely because they don't want a strong, democratic Palestinian state. They'd rather have religious fanatics instead.