(CNN) Jason Greenblatt - Hamas is an Islamic fundamentalist terror organization, with funding from Iran, dedicated to the destruction of Israel. Over the past several months, in addition to launching rocket attacks and building tunnels to attack Israel, Hamas has turned to new methods of attacks - most recently, turning kites and balloons into incendiary terror toys. Hamas' new weapons of choice have burned thousands of acres of land and caused millions of dollars of damage in Israel. While Hamas focuses on violence toward their Israeli neighbors, they have neglected and utterly failed to build the infrastructure and systems to make life better in Gaza. My colleagues and I on the U.S. peace team believe that respect and cooperation between the two sides could lead to so many advancements and to a better life for all. Hamas has chosen to weaponize fire in its persistent but futile effort to destroy Israel, driving hopes for peace further away. It is time to put out the fire and choose peace. The writer is assistant to the President and special U.S. representative for international negotiations.
2018-08-10 00:00:00Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive