The West's Generosity to the Palestinians

"British Prime Minister Tony Blair on Sunday said the world should restore contacts with the Palestinians if the ruling Hamas group agrees to form a unity government, but only if the coalition accepts Western demands to renounce violence and recognize Israel."

To understand the context in which Mr. Blair is making this statement, have a look at these articles in the British paper The Independent.

'Gaza is a jail. Nobody is allowed to leave. We are all starving now' http://news.independent.co.uk/world/middle_east/article1372026.ece

'West Bank fragmented by occupation' http://news.independent.co.uk/world/middle_east/article1372012.ece

So Blair is generously suggesting that the noose can now be loosened, provided that the one being strangled recognize the executioner's right to live in peace and security.

I mean, I don't like Hamas, but they were democratically elected. True, so were the Nazis. But in this situation, to talking about the people being oppressed as potential oppressors seems grotesque, to say the least. While people prattle on about Hamas being a threat to Israel, what Israel is doing to the Palestinians, with our assistance- right now, as you read these lines- goes way beyond "threat".

As for "renouncing violence" and "recognizing Israel", such obligations ought to be reciprocal. But of course they aren't. After all, Israel has the right to defend itself, right? And the Palestinians don't have the right to defend themselves? Evidently not. There is indeed racism afoot here- and I'm not talking of anti-semitism.