Whether liked or approved of, the undoubted fact is that Hamas is a legitimate entity which won open and fair elections in Gaza. To ignore Hamas, and Gaza, is tantamount to sticking one's head in the sand. Even moderate commentators and pundits are now saying that Hamas can no longer be ignored and must be "brought into the tent" of the so-called Middle East peace talks.
"After escaping an assassination attempt in 1997 and being banned from Jordan in 1999, Khaled Mashal, Hamas leader, made his home in Damascus, where Manuela Paraipan interviewed him last week on Hamas’ approach to the current peace negotiations, his view of Hamas’ strengths, its ongoing commitment to resistance, and the importance of principle in politics"
A sample of the Q & A:
"Q: Why should the United States or anyone else engage with Hamas directly? You say that you have national support earned through the elections. But is there anything else you can throw into the equation?
A: This is another mistake when dealing with the region's affairs. It is symptomatic of a misguided mentality which we find especially in the west, in the United States. They feel that they must do a deal with the weaker party, and that the way they can do this is to compel it to give even more. In short this may be a very attractive overture, but it won't lead to a solution.
The answer is to satisfy the interests of the people and, if accepted by the majority then any settlement can succeed. Hamas is a movement quite capable of successfully ensuring that an agreement is implemented, provided there is comprehensive acceptance of it."
"After escaping an assassination attempt in 1997 and being banned from Jordan in 1999, Khaled Mashal, Hamas leader, made his home in Damascus, where Manuela Paraipan interviewed him last week on Hamas’ approach to the current peace negotiations, his view of Hamas’ strengths, its ongoing commitment to resistance, and the importance of principle in politics"
A sample of the Q & A:
"Q: Why should the United States or anyone else engage with Hamas directly? You say that you have national support earned through the elections. But is there anything else you can throw into the equation?
A: This is another mistake when dealing with the region's affairs. It is symptomatic of a misguided mentality which we find especially in the west, in the United States. They feel that they must do a deal with the weaker party, and that the way they can do this is to compel it to give even more. In short this may be a very attractive overture, but it won't lead to a solution.
The answer is to satisfy the interests of the people and, if accepted by the majority then any settlement can succeed. Hamas is a movement quite capable of successfully ensuring that an agreement is implemented, provided there is comprehensive acceptance of it."
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