who all say Israel should negotiate with Hamas. Are they all traitors, too?
From Tough Dove:
"In a new interview, former Mossad Chief Efraim Halevy (a Sharon appointee) makes the case once again for the view that Israel's current policy towards Hamas and the PA is failing and should be replaced by a more realistic strategy.
Halevy: 'Israel has been successful in inflicting very serious losses upon Hamas in both Gaza and the West Bank and this has certainly had an effect on Hamas, who are now trying to get a 'cease fire.' But this has not cowed them into submission and into accepting the three-point diktat that the international community has presented to them: to recognize Israel's right to exist; to honor all previous commitments of the Palestinian Authority; and to prevent all acts of violence against Israel and Israelis. The last two conditions are, without doubt, sine qua non. The first demands an a priori renunciation of ideology before contact is made. Such a demand has never been made before either to an Arab state or to the Palestinian Liberation Organization/Fatah. There is logic in the Hamas' position that ideological 'conversion' is the endgame and not the first move in a negotiation.'"
From post April 13
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=124x208144And, btw, what of those "residents of the Israeli town of Sderot, who suffer daily rocket attacks."
According to the Economist exactly one Israeli has been killed by those daily rocket attacks scine May of 07. In that time Israel has killed "350 Gazans since June, among them more than 100 civilians and children."
http://www.economist.com/world/africa/displaystory.cfm?story_id=10808635And, you say "it is one thing to communicate pragmatically, and quite another to publicly and unconditionally grant recognition and political sanction to a leader or a group that advocates terrorism, mass murder or the extinction of another state. That is what Mr. Carter is doing by lending what is left of his prestige to an avowed terrorist such as Khaled Meshal -- or Mahmoud al-Zahar."
Who knows if all this public thrashing and snubbing of Carter by the Israelis is really all just for show. Israel has enjoyed decades of peace with Egypt because of the herculain efforts of Mr. Carter, that can't have been fogotten. Olmert can't be seen to be dealing with Hamas, obviously, but there's something in the wind. Carter may have been bringing a message to Hamas from the Israelis, who knows? Both side's positions are getting neither of them anywhere. Israel's only option, besides reinvading Gaza and occupying it again, is to maintain the status quo, which in untenable. The same goes for Hamas. Maybe, a little gentle nudging by Carter, who incidently looks more credible in the eyes of Hamas by being snubbed so publicly by Israel, might be able to get something going. If not, it was worth a try anyway.
And he's already done more for Gilad Shalit than Olmert has in the past two years.