[Christian Science Monitor] Norman H. Olsen - Palestinians in Gaza have little grasp of the realities facing an American president seeking to take up their cause. Two senior officials cite the current postwar cease-fire and the offer of a 10- to 20-year cease-fire with Israel as Hamas concessions. They are both amazed to hear that, to many Americans, the current cease-fire appears more a tactic to avoid obliteration by the Israeli army, and that it looks like a way to remove Israeli pressure while Hamas rearms and trains a new generation of fighters. The writer, a former senior U.S. Foreign Service officer, served at the U.S. Embassy in Tel Aviv from 1991 to 1995 and from 2002 to 2007.
2009-07-16 06:00:00Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive