David. We live in a "multi cultural" society, whereby all cultural norms/practices are respected and accepted. As an Australian citizen I think you should also respect the right of others to their own 'systems' of governance.

In the case of the 'state' of Palestine, and others in the region, the cultural/historic 'norm' is that rule is vested in a specific 'tribe' and or family, maintained in the main through force of arms and the economic and religious suppression of other potential 'usurpers'.

A change in government is effected in the 'traditional' fashion as recently demonstrated in Iran, Iraq, Tunisia, Egypt and most currently in Syria.

"Now try and convince me why the population should not have a say on the future direction they want their elected representatives to take them"

They are 'having a say', just not using the method preferred by you and other culturally narrow western societies.

Do not mistake this comment with sarcasm, merely an observation of systems of governance within the region since at least the 6th century.

Ah, the cunning, wolfish face of the Singer is peering out from under his sheep's fleece.

He gives advice to the Palestinians about democracy even when his Brutal Jewish Regime has not allowed the Palestinians any meaningful vestige of democracy or freedom since 1948. He talks about the rights of Palestinians when Crazy Benny has just announced the building of 6,000 more settlements in the West Bank.

Shakespeare must have had the Singer in mind when he wrote 'The Merchant Of Venice'.

'Beware of Jews bearing advice!'

P.S. I meant 6,000 settlement units of course. Unlike the Singer, I do try to be honest.

To #Prompete

You are perfectly right in your comments and it is indeed refreshing that you are prepared to discuss the issue of fair and free elections in Gaza and the West Bank and point out the intolerable situation that has indeed been prevalent there for decades that has prevented the population having their say.

They did have a say in 2006 - but the PLO did not accept the results and fired the incumbent Prime Minister.

The last time before 2006 was in 1950 when West Bank Arabs also had their say - when they agreed to unify the West Bank with Transjordan to create the new territorial entity renamed "Jordan" which continued to exist until 1967.

56 years between innings should serve as a reminder of the current time frame of 7 years - which has impacted very severely on the attempts to bring the Bush Road Map to fruition.

Giving the people the right to vote in another election is well overdue.

The necessity for building a practicing democracy was fundamental if the two-state solution proposed by the Bush Road Map was ever to be attainable.

That includes principles such as a free press, the right to dissent without being detained without trial, and even the right to sell your own land to Jews without being subjected to the death penalty.

The need for a Palestinian Arab state to be democratic was the centerpiece of the Bush Road Map - as the quotes in my article make clear.

This one word "democratic" has disappeared from the political debate and I think it is time that it returned to center stage.

The population is entitled to choose whoever it likes and Israel will have to live with that choice and react accordingly as it considers to be in its national interest.

But whilst those Gazan and West Bank voices are stilled as they have been for the last seven years - any hope of the two-state solution still so earnestly being sought internationally as the solution to the Jewish-Arab conflict is only folly and illusion.

For once I agree with your views mr singer. But I also fear them. As should israel.
We have seen in Gaza and now Egypt that the most popular parties in the middle east are the fundamentalist moslems like hamas or the islamic brotherhood. Is that what you really want singer?
As much as I respect democracy it is not the answer for the middle east at the moment.
I wrote an article about it. Wow 7 years ago. Doesn't time fly. Pity change in the middle east is the opposite.
http://www.wikkkard.net/oldsite/articles/WhyMiddleEastDemocracyWillFail.html

"The population is entitled to choose whoever it likes and Israel will have to live with that choice and react accordingly as it considers to be in its national interest"

I completely agree, a comparison could be made with Australia and PNG or Fiji or Tonga, we may find the electoral process at variance to our own and, in the case of Fiji, we may disagree with the outcome.

As Marilyn says, and I agree, "Hamas were elected in a (somewhat) free and fair election and it was the US and Israel who decided they didn't like it". But I do not agree that US and Isreal "denied the people of Palestine their voices", they are expressing their 'voice' through their elected representatives currently and, like Australia and Fiji, the Australian government is reacting to the current military regime in a manner consistent with our national interest.

For a functional democracy the imperative of elements as described by David above (free press etc) are essential. A democracy needs at least an 80% literacy rate. Perhaps some serious investment in education, as opposed to rockets, could be a usefull policy directive for Hamas.