(Council on Foreign Relations) Elliott Abrams - No one can seriously expect Israel to negotiate peace with a combined Fatah-Hamas team when Hamas is dedicated to Israel's destruction. It is not the PA but the PLO that formally negotiates with Israel, and one of the most damaging aspects of the "reconciliation" agreement is that Hamas is supposed to join the PLO. Once it does, all but the most ardent peace-processors will have to admit the negotiations track is truly frozen. If Hamas is admitted into the PA government and the PLO as the terrorist group it is today, let's acknowledge that the Palestinian leadership has turned away from any genuine effort to negotiate peace.
2012-02-09 00:00:00Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive