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While I see your point, I disagree with your conclusion.
I don't think the point has ever been that free elections is the end to your problems. We have enough problems in our own country to know this is not the case. However, it is a first step.
I am not surprised that the Palestinians voted as they did. They danced in the streets when 9/11 happened (prior to "pulling the rug out from under them", as you put it), and financially support suicide bombers killing innocent civilians. I think this is exactly what was expected. What happened is we went from a position of having to deal with Arafat and the PLO, who were never interested in peace (as Clinton was able to demonstrate when he got Isreal to agree to 96% of the land the Palestinians were demanding and they turned it down), to having exposed them as a country that truly does not desire peace in that they elected Hamas, who as a group has sworn to eliminate Isreal.
You see bullying. I see great foreign policy.
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