[JTA] Uriel Heilman - In a Monday op-ed in the New York Times, Paul McGeough wrote: "Over the long term, Hamas accepts the concept of two states in the Levant, which arguably puts [Hamas leader Khalid] Meshaal's terrorist movement closer to Washington than Netanyahu is - he now proposes only 'economic peace' between Jews and Palestinians." I'm mystified as to what led McGeough to conclude that Hamas accepts the two-state solution over the long term, or what led the Times' editors to let this factually incorrect line run. Hamas has indicated support for a long-term cease-fire with Israel, but at every turn has made clear that its ultimate goal is conquest of all of historic Palestine, even if it takes 100 years. Netanyahu didn't try to kill Meshaal in the 1990s because he didn't like Meshaal; he did so because Meshaal was the leader of a terrorist group carrying out suicide bombings in Israeli malls, buses and hotels. Meshaal's main objection to Netanyahu isn't personal; it's because he's the leader of an entity, Israel, that he's sworn to destroy.
2009-04-14 06:00:00Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive