Most readers know I’m an optimist–hey, it works; try it–but there’s some good cause for my world view coming from the Holy Land this morning. Haaretz tells us the “Palestinian militant groups agreed Thursday to extend the “calm” in place since February, in exchange for a halt to Israeli attacks and the release of prisoners, according to a statement issued by the groups at the end of three days of talks in Egypt.”
Israeli officials are reacting with caution, as well they might. But it’s hard not to see this in the light of the Iraqi election and a million people in the streets of Beirut demonstrating for democracy. Meanwhile the same newspaper’s always useful ticker has this report from Reuters: “Hamas: Conditional truce will expire at end of 2005 if Israel does not meet demands, among them prisoner releases.”
The end of 2005? Normally Hamas gives deadlines like… yesterday. Something’s up. Maybe it’s time to review our clichés – “Trust but verify.” “If you want to make peace, you don’t talk to your friends. You talk to your enemies.” [Hey, that last one's from Mother Teresa. Didn't you read Christopher Hitchens about that fake?-ed. Yes, but it's a good quote.]
hey, it works; try it
Roger, please cite one example where “optimism” about the “Palestinians” has “worked”.
Hi Roger,
With all due respect, don’t sell that bit about “making peace with your enemies” to the Israelis. They got a bellyful of it during the Rabin years, and it all it got them was a lot of pointless concessions and a lot of dead women and children.
Hamas has tried the hudna route before, after all. If they say “the truce will expire at the end of 2005″, they mean “we need that long to acquire lots of new weapons”. And the Israelis have seen this.
I hate to say this, because I desperately want peace and quiet in Jerusalem and Jenin too. But the way things are today, ‘making peace’ with Hamas is like negotiating peaceful coexistence with the Klan. You don’t negotiate with people who magnanimously agree to stop killing you for a moment, or even for two moments.
When Hamas sues for peace and explains — of their own initiative — that they are willing to abandon terror forever, then I’ll believe we have something serious.
respectfully,
Daniel in Brookline
Sorry Roger but I agree with everyone else. You’re engaging in wishful thinking. Hamas is basically saying “Stop retaliating against our murderers and release all our murderers that you’ve caught and we’ll allow you a temporary peace.”
Given the votes for Hamas in the elections in Gaza and the West Bank it is reasonable to say that the majority of Palestinians do NOT want peace with Israel or even a piece OF Israel they want ALL of Israel and as many dead Jews as possible.
Though denunciations of Israel and allegations of Zionist conspiracies against the Muslim world continue throughout the ME, there certainly seems to me to be a diminution in importance of such claims to both the speaker and the audience.
It’s sort of (but only sort of) like the left wing faithful here who continue their lunatic ravings about the “Evil Bush”. They’re so used to saying so that they can’t (yet) stop the words from leaving their lips. But they know somewhere deep down that it’s more rhetoric than absolute truth and, more importantly, that less and less people care or are still listening.
The Arab street has more important things to think about…such as actually effecting positive change within their own lands.
Combine this with the fact that terrorist acts just aren’t as cool as they once were for these thugs and I think the least we can say is that the possibility for real progress to be made in the Israeli/Palestinian conflict is signficantly greater than we even (mistakenly) thought it was when Rabin shook the blood-stained hand of Arafat.
Given the votes for Hamas in the elections in Gaza and the West Bank it is reasonable to say that the majority of Palestinians do NOT want peace with Israel or even a piece OF Israel they want ALL of Israel and as many dead Jews as possible.
To a large extent, though, support for Hamas over Fatah in local elections is driven more by Fatah’s corruption and complete incompetence than a statement about terrorism or territorial compromise. If you live in Rafah or Tulkarm, Hamas is simply more likely to get your sewer fixed or pick up your garbage. It’s a mistake to view everything in terms of Big Picture political statements. (Anyway, keep in mind that Fatah is every bit as much a terrorist organization as Hamas is.)
I agree that it’s too early to celebrate, but every day that isn’t a bloodbath is good news.
As a follow-up, you might want to check this out. here’s a key bit or two:
And the PA is supposed to be more moderate than Hamas. The “moderates” celebrate International Women’s Day by encouraging children to go kill themselves? Israel is supposed to find common ground with that?
(hat tip: LGF.)
respectfully,
Daniel in Brookline
Well,nothing’s written in stone, yet. And, with the budget needing to pass before March 31st, I can see something happening that’s not discussed.
So far, the Likud think they pick Arik Sharon’s slate. And, Shinui, worried that it was losing seats in an eventual election, just might not claim their 15-again.
And, since I possess wishful thinking ideas; I’m hoping that, yes, there are new elections in Israel. And, that Arik Sharon fools everybody and runs as an “independent.” Well, he once ran at the head of his own party, SHLOMZION, but got only two seats. After that, he put all his efforts into creating Likud. But Likud is a monster. Of right wing fanatics who keep pulling down right wing (shamir, Netanyahu, and Begin governments. Sharon’s going to be going on his 3rd government, if the budget fails to pass, now.)
SO, what would an independent party look like? Hmm? Given that the Likud Central Committee dreams of giving Sharon a right winger’s list. WIth his own favorite ministers way on the bottom.
When will we know? By March 31st, if there’s going to be new elections. And, by April 21st and 22nd, for who gets picked to the “list.”
The only rule, I think, is that to run for the knesset you have to be a current member. What’s a new party to Israeli politics, anyway?
Besides, once the cat’s out of the bag, and Sharon wants to go Left-Center; whose to say the religious monster created by Ben-Gurion can’t finally be defeated by a secular government? Hmm?
With all due respect, don’t sell that bit about “making peace with your enemies” to the Israelis. They got a bellyful of it during the Rabin years, and it all it got them was a lot of pointless concessions and a lot of dead women and children.
…and an assasinated Prime Minister.
LOOK! LOOK! DEBKA says Arik Sharon is being invited to the CRAWFORD RANCH!
Not that I think the right wing extremists get the message. But if there are new elections, THIS TIME Sharon will pull no punches. Just let the “central committee try to shaft him with an extemist’s wish list!
Is Vapid Lapid listening? He pulled himself out of the government because he saw his base eroding. He knew he was dropping in popularity in the public.
And,until my eyes see it differently, IF there are new elections, I’m going to suspect that Arik Sharon pulls another SHLOMZION. And, takes the chance to run as an independent. You bet, this man has coattails. And, he can invite whomever he likes from the Knesset to join him.
If this Bush invitation is true; Bush is on a REAL PEACE MISSION. And, he’s not allowing fruitcakes or despots to mess it up. Hallejulah.
HERE’S DEBKA’S TOP STATEMENT:
“President Bush has invited Sharon to stay at his ranch in Crawford, Texas, when he comes for a visit April 12.”