What a Palestinian state would look like

OPINION:

On “60 Minutes” this past Sunday, President Biden said he thinks it would be a “mistake … for Israel to occupy … Gaza again.” He also conceded that eliminating Hamas and Hezbollah in Lebanon “is a necessary requirement.”

At the same time, the president said, “There needs to be a path to a Palestinian state.”

If anyone wants to see a preview of what a Palestinian state would look like, they should consider Gaza. Only the self-deluded believe such a state would not be used by terrorists to complete their “final solution” of wiping Israel off the map. Is there any credible evidence that would prove otherwise?

Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas, whom the media label a “moderate,” first tried to claim that Hamas doesn’t represent the Palestinian people and criticized its murderous actions. He then seemed to walk back his comment when it was removed from a report in the organization’s mouthpiece news agency, WAFA.

The president said “the extreme elements of Hamas don’t represent all the Palestinian people.” Does Hamas have any other element?

Hitler may not have represented all the German people. Mao Zedong may not have represented all the Chinese people. Stalin may not have represented all the Russian people. Idi Amin may not have represented all the Ugandan people. And so on.

Evil doesn’t need a majority to inflict death and mayhem, though a majority can oppose and defeat it if they have the will.

As for Hamas not representing all Palestinian people, why did a majority of Gazans vote for them in the 2006 Palestinian Legislative Council elections, the last elections held, that also saw another terrorist group, Fatah, put in power in the West Bank?

Some in the media are already reverting to their past approach when violence has been inflicted on Israel. After a brief focus on the horrific deaths of Israeli civilians, soldiers, women, children and babies, and hostage-taking by Hamas, The Washington Post and The New York Times are now reporting on the “humanitarian crisis” in Gaza.

At the extreme, a Reuters fact check of an online video suggests that Israeli concertgoers were unharmed by the Hamas terrorist attack.

This is prompting Hamas sympathizers to argue that the attack didn’t happen at all. They should join the Holocaust deniers. If the attack didn’t happen, perhaps the deniers can tell us the motivation behind Hamas’ invasion and killing spree.

Just days before the Hamas attacks, national security adviser Jake Sullivan claimed the Middle East region was “quieter” than it had been in two decades. On “Meet the Press” this past Sunday, Mr. Sullivan refused to walk back his statement, saying it was made “in the context of developments in the wider Middle East region over the last few years.”

That would include the Abraham Accords, achieved by the Trump administration, but the current administration is determined not to credit former President Donald Trump with anything.

What will these events do to the Biden administration’s push for a nuclear deal with Iran? Secretary of State Antony Blinken said with a straight face that there is no direct evidence linking Iran to Hamas’ actions.

Tehran’s fingerprints are all over them. Iran has trained and funded not only Hamas, but also other groups intent on destroying Israel. “60 Minutes’” Scott Pelley should have asked President Biden whether the nuclear deal is off the table — and if not, why not?

As long as U.S. policy includes support for a Palestinian state there will likely be additional cycles of violence. The Palestinian National Authority should be told that given what Hamas has done, that is no longer possible.

• Readers may email Cal Thomas at tcaeditors@tribpub.com. Look for Cal Thomas’ latest book, “A Watchman in the Night: What I’ve Seen Over 50 Years Reporting on America” (HumanixBooks).