Hamas, Fatah and The Great Obama Giveaway

Obama is big on unconditional love--especially when it comes to Hamas and Fatah.

Just last month, Obama announced millions more in aid to Hamas, in addition to the millions already going there:

President Obama said the situation in the Gaza Strip was "unsustainable" and that he would budget an additional $400 million to improve conditions there and in the West Bank.

...The United States currently supplies about $500 million in assistance to the Palestinians. Any funds disbursed in Gaza are administered through nongovernmental organizations vetted for any ties with Hamas.

Claims that the money going to Gaza will not go to Hamas are sidestepping the issue.
The fact is that the money will relieve Hamas of the financial responsibility of taking care of Gazans, thus enabling Hamas to dedicate funds towards arms and bunkers--that would be bunkers for weapons, not bunkers to shelter the Gazans who inevitably pay the price for Hamas attacks on Israeli civilians.

More importantly, this is close to $1billion being provided without even raising the issue of Gilad Shalit, let alone making the millions conditional upon Gilad Shalit's release.

Obama does the same with Abbas and Fatah. Following his meeting with Netanyahu, Obama called Abbas to hold his hand:

US President Barack Obama assured Mahmud Abbas by telephone on Friday of his commitment to the establishment of a Palestinian state, the Palestinian leader's spokesman said.

"Mr Obama promised Mr Abbas to make all efforts for the establishment of an independent Palestinian state living in security, peace and stability alongside Israel," Nabil Abou Roudeina said, adding that the US leader had called Abbas.

Obama can go ahead and promise a second Palestinian state. But instead of promising a state--and let's face it: there has never been a Palestinian state before Jordan--why not make progress on those talks conditional on real face to face talks. Better yet, why doesn't Obama make continued talks condition on Abbas fulfilling his promise to stop incitement--something Abbas has failed to do?

Why is Obama giving Hamas and Fatah a free ride?

Technorati Tag: Obama and Fatah and Hamas.