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Hamas Is Loving Its Revival
(Wall Street Journal) Editorial - Is U.S. policy legitimizing Hamas? Three months after the October ceasefire, the terrorists show no sign of disarming. Instead Hamas negotiates with White House envoys and regional powers as it settles in for the long haul. The Administration dignifies Hamas as a continuing negotiating partner. President Trump's peace plan says, "Gaza will be a deradicalized terror-free zone that does not pose a threat to its neighbors." So far, no progress. "Hamas and other factions agree to not have any role in the governance of Gaza....There will be a process of demilitarization of Gaza under the supervision of independent monitors, which will include placing weapons permanently beyond use." Hamas governs half of Gaza and has not surrendered a single weapon. In the face of these violations, the Trump Administration pressures Israel to sit on its hands. When the Israelis occasionally strike senior Hamas terrorists, including those responsible for the Oct. 7 massacre, the White House scolds Jerusalem for threatening the peace. Every day Hamas fails to disarm and surrender power is a ceasefire violation. Accepting it legitimizes Hamas's presence. Trump's comments throughout the war suggest he understands that there can be no peace so long as Hamas is in power. But his envoys seem willing to trust that economic development alone will save Gaza. This has been tried and failed. Whatever gets built is knocked down in the next war that Hamas starts. Will the Trump envoys be remembered as the team that saved the hostages or the team that saved Hamas?