(Israel Hayom) Zalman Shoval - According to unconfirmed reports from Washington, the U.S. intends to recognize the Palestinian unity government when it is established, even if Hamas does not accept the Quartet's conditions (recognition of Israel, cessation of terror and adherence to past Israeli-Palestinian agreements). The official excuse will be that the Palestinian government will be comprised of "technocrats," not political figures. This argument is not exactly convincing, as half of the ministers will be appointed by Hamas, a group that the U.S. itself has defined as a terrorist organization. PLO and Fatah accepted, at least outwardly, certain rules and commitments, particularly regarding terrorism and violence, which enabled the ban on talking with them to be lifted. Hamas, on the other hand, has never forsworn terrorism. The writer is a former Israeli ambassador to the U.S.
2014-05-28 00:00:00Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive