The first trickle of exit poll results in the contested Palestinian Legislative Council elections indicated a strong showing for Hamas-the Islamist terrorist group.

Host Alan Nathan-"the raging moderate" was in the first of his quotidian three hour segments and popped the question about what were our views regarding the strong showing of Hamas-only to get worse at first light here on the eastern seaboard this morning.

Washington columnist for the San Francisco Examiner and Mr. Dajani took a cautionary approach. Basically their line was "let's wait a bit to see what really emerges." "After all" as Dajani opined, the Palestinins have suffered under "occupation" and warring military factions. But after all things had gone pretty well without major violence, no significant evidences of vote fraud and a large voter turnout (77% of 1.3 million eligible voters).

Alan Nathan, the Battle Line radio program host, fairly indicated that Israel couldn't countenance a government ruled by a terrorist group next door, nor could the US which had placed Hamas on its terrorist lists for undertaking suicide bombing attacks that have killed or injured more than ten thousand Israelis.

Further, Nathan pointed pointed out what Israel was likely to do was complete the security barrier and cease any further "road map" discussions and conduct further unilateral withdrawals granting the Palestinians 95% of what they could have had at Camp David and in Washington, DC in 2000 and at Taba in early 2001. Nathan also pointed out that Hamas was unwilling to give up its Charter program of armed resistance and destruction of the Jewish state of Israel.

I mused to myself about, and "yes" it was okay to murder Jews, Rotarians, Kiwanis Club members and Masons, too. That according to their 1988 Charter, which Hamas has yet to disavow.

I made several points in this wrangling debate that lasted most of the hour during the 3:00 to 4:00PM "Battle Line" segment.

The Hamas victory was the latest in a string of "jihadist" victories across what passes for the electoral map in the Middle East among both Sunni and Shia dominated states. I cited the significant presence of the Moslem Brotherhood in the new Egyptian parliament-whose "genes" provided the push for Hamas in the Palestinian territiories; Lebanon where Shia Hezbolleh "won" a significant presence in their parliament and control all of south Lebanon; the Shia Islamist dominance in the recent Iraq elections and even the "election" of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, the lunatic apoclyptic Mahdist in Tehran engaged in missile and nuclear weapoins developments.

I expressed the view that the Hamas "victory," as some are calling it this morning, was also a rejection of a corrupt secular regime, propped up by billions of Euros and dollars of support from the EU, UN and the US. Hamas's program of providing social welfare and communal services with one hand and jihad hate with the other eroded any vestige of secular democracy in the face of Fatah corruption-a corruption seized by the late Arafat and his klepto cronies among them weakened Abu Mazan or Mahmoud Abbas. I pointed out that Mahmoud Abbas had promised to resign a few days prior to these Palestinian legislative elections, and I suggested that perhaps he should. He has all but done that today by inivting Hamas to form a partnership in a new government.

Prior to this mornings announced "debacle," we had the US State Department desperately throwing $2.0 million to support last minute electioneering by kleptocratic Fatah. Then we had the Israelis permitting televized and radio interviews with the "young leader" of Fatah, Marwan Baghouti serving five consecutive life terms for murder in an Israeli jail. Dr. Rice must have arm twisted the Kadimah Foreign Minister, Tzipi Livini and acting PM Ehud Olmert for that last minute "endorsement."

I also pointed out the comments of US Ambassador to Israel Dick Jones at the Herziliyah conference earlier this week, that the US would "deal" with the Palestininan National Administration but not terrorist elements. Sure, and pigs fly. I cynically pointed out that our government was dealing with the government of Lebanon next door which had a large Hezbolleh presence. Effectively Ambassador Jones remarks were blown to smithereens by this morning announcement by President Abbas to have Hamas form a partnership government.

"Battle Line" talk show host Nathan asked about the dilemma the US faces concerning aid and support for the Palestinians if Hamas has a significant showing. It won subsequently. Palestinian advocate, Dajani and the San Francisco Examiner political columnist said that "we would have to wait and see" and that we couldn't "abandon" humanitarian commitments. By that I assume they were referring to the 56 year eyesore of the UNWRA "refugee camps" that fostered Hamas. I simply stated that the US had a "Hobson's "choice." What Nathan called-"the best of the worst" solutions. The Bush Administration which announced on Wednesday that it wouldn't deal with a Hamas led government will now either eat its words in the "diplobabble" of the Arabists at our State Department or simply shut down all "road map" final solution initiatives. Period.

What Israelis have woken up this morning to find out is that they have a jihad state aborning next door. The immediate implication of that prospect is that the security barrier will have to be completed "tout suite," as the French say. Perhaps the route of the barrier in Judea will not slice it in half as currently contemplated but include the fingers of Ariel and other Israeli towns in Judea. For sure the Olmert government has to be prodded into undertaking the E-1 project to control the "high ground" and the Jordan border.

I'd like to see what Olmert's Kadimah and Netanyahu's Likud opinion poll numbers look like later this week. Those could be interesting in the wake of the Hamas "victory.'

Retreating from Gaza, may have given Israel a very short breathing period, before what may become a very hot civil war in the PA, now that Fatah and the Al Aksa Brigades have to face off against the purported 5000 man Hamas force in Gaza-fighting amid the ruins of the former Gush Katif settlements.

Listen to this comment in today's Washington Post from a young Palestinian voter:

"We're telling people Islam is the solution," said Radi Johar, 29, who was passing out Hamas candidate pamphlets in the dirt street outside a crowded polling station. "We are victorious, whether we win or not, since we are raising the flag of Islam."

If I were Christian Hannan Ashwari of the vanquished Third Way Party and Victor Batarseh-the Marxist Christian mayor of Bethlehem-he ran on the Hamas municipal party list, I would "high tail" it for their respective Diasporas. After all Hamas intends to impose an Islamic "jizyeh" or hush money tax for being a dhimmi-a fourth class unbeliever in Islamist Palestine. The less than 3 percent of the Palestinians who are Christians will doubtless depart for good, if they are smart.

The "dream" of a secular Arab state is over in Palestine.

Doubtless the first congratulatory note for the new Hamas government to be formed will be from the crazed Mahdist President of Iran, emboldened by this Islamist victory to "wipe Israel off the map." After all Iran pumped electioneering dough into Hamas.

The Green flag of Hamas and radical Islam has advanced with this latest "electoral" victory.

So be careful what you wish for-democracy in the Middle East-delivers Jihad. This must be a sobering prospect to Acting PM Olmert in Jersalem and to President Bush in the Oval office this morning.