The Myth of Hamas Being "Democratically Elected"

Many have noted that Hamas was democratically elected, and in a sense that was true. But about the same time as the elections which Hamas won, there were elections in Iraq. Some in the U.S. noted that you couldn't have free election in Iraq while the country was occupied by the United States. Interestingly, virtually no U.S.ian noted that the Palestinian election was under occupation. It's one of the few instances where the home country is viewed more critically than another. So Hamas was not really democratically elected -- which in no way justifies Israeli attacks or Fatah coup attempts. Quite the contrary, it highlights the need for a complete end to decades of Israeli occupation so that Palestinians can begin having serious elections and meaningful self-determination.