The Palestinians, never long on their own self-interest, seem to be headed toward electing a fair number of Hamas candidates. But not to worry, Hamas itself is “changing” and might even negotiate with a “non-existent” state or is it “entity,” at least according to this AP report:
“Negotiation is not a taboo,” said Mahmoud Zahar, a prominent Hamas leader in Gaza and a top candidate for the group. He said Hamas would be willing to talk to Israel through a third party, similar to past negotiations between Israel and Hezbollah guerrillas in Lebanon.
Touching, that…. Tony Blair is evidently not impressed.
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7 Comments
1. ajveros:Hamas has not changed at all nor will it after elections. Jerusalem Post has a quote from the top Hamas candidate. Boilerplate stuff from their camp. I wonder how they will function without any U.S. aid or legal investment? The administration is giving confirmation that they will not recognize a Palestinian government with Hamas in it.
Tony Blair stuck it to Iran today, too.
Jan 23, 2006 - 3:40 pm 2. flenser:ajveros
I expect that Hamas will function just fine, with the assistance they get from Syria and Iran.
We will have turned an important corner in the terror war whan a Hamas attack in Israel is met with a response in kind in Tehran and Damascus. Until then we are all just spinning our wheels.
Jan 23, 2006 - 4:19 pm 3. Terrye:I did think it was interesting that both the US and Europe were threatening to cut aid.
I don’t see how Hamas can change.
Jan 24, 2006 - 3:21 am 4. markus:The Herut Party (predecessor of the Likud Party) campaigned and operated freely and openly in the earliest days of the nation of Israel, winning 14 seats in the first Knesset, despite its open ties to the terrorist Irgun Tsvai Leumi movement, and despite its irredentist claims not just to the West Bank, but also to Jordan.
I¥m sure there are some difference – for instance Irgun made phone calls to announce that a building was going to be blown up. But in general, I see that extremists on both sides are starting to talk like they¥re coming to their senses. Even Netanyahu of all people is talking about giving up MORE territory. This process should continue on both sides.
Jan 24, 2006 - 8:27 am 5. Gary Rosen:“markus” makes Pavlov’s dog look like a free thinker. Before I even opened up this page of comments, I knew he would be in there making excuses for the bloodthirsty terrorists of Hamas, the true heirs to the Nazis. But what else would you expect from an antisemitic ignoramus who compares Israel to Nazi Germany?
Jan 24, 2006 - 11:21 pm 6. markus:There is no comparison between the state of Israel and Nazi Germany. Others however, have compared Irgun Tsvai Leumi and the Herut Party in its early days to the Nazi and other fascist parties. Most famously, the letter below, signed by Arendt, Einstein and others. I think this accusation is extremely unfair. However, it is a fact that Irgun was a terrorist organization, way before the King David Hotel incident, with more than a little in common with Hamas. No suicide bombers, but definately they engaged in targeting of Arab civilians.
http://www.rense.com/general59/ein.htm
Rosen — just curious, do you have problem with the settlers that compared Sharon to Hitler? Or are Nazi comparisons less offensive if they are made by Zionists?
Jan 27, 2006 - 12:06 pm 7. Gary Rosen:“markus”:
“There is no comparison between the state of Israel and Nazi Germany.”
Of course there isn’t. But you made it, and you don’t have the nuts to own up to it. This makes you a weasel, in addition to being an antisemite.
Jan 28, 2006 - 4:25 am