[Washington Institute for Near East Policy] David Pollock - The positions of the rejectionist axis - Iran, Syria, Hizbullah, and Hamas - have hardened even further as the U.S., Israel, PA, and Egypt keep talking about peace talks. After months of scattering verbal hints of possible concessions, Hamas has now clearly opted out of diplomacy. Can Arab moderates reject the rejectionist challenge and proceed with the peace process? They can if Washington encourages rather than undercuts them. This means containing, rather than trying to engage, Hamas or Hizbullah, and concentrating on further improving conditions in the West Bank. The writer is a senior fellow at The Washington Institute.
2009-09-02 08:00:00Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive