Hamas Hold 'em

If I ever get a chance, I'd love to play poker with 5 Palestinian guys. Not because the evening promises laughter, camaraderie and great joy. To the contrary, I believe those would be in short supply. The reason I want to ante up with the folks from Hamas is very simple; they are quite simply the world's worst liars. Completely ill-equipped to maintain a proper poker face.

The recent Israeli incursion into Gaza (a punishing retribution for the daily over-the-border rocket attacks) left more than 1,000 people dead and reduced the entire infra-structure to rubble. Yet in the face of these tremendous losses, and without any hint of irony, Hamas leadership had the delusional chutzpah to declare an overwhelming victory (followed of course, by the indiscriminate shooting of rifles in the streets.)

Only in the stateless state of Palestine could such devastation, death and destruction be construed as a glorious victory.

What am I holding? A very unpromising 2 of diamonds and 8 of clubs in the hole.

I'm all in.