Just Foreign Policy wrote:
Just Foreign Policy News, January 9, 2008
From: Just Foreign Policy [info@justforeignpolicy.org]
Sent: Friday, January 09, 2009 4:09 PM
To: Tom Chambless
Subject: Just Foreign Policy News, January 9, 2008
Israel and Hamas rebuffed a UN call for a cease-fire in the Gaza war, the New York Times reports. Gaza health officials said that the overall death toll passed 784 on Friday, according to Reuters, with women and children making up about 40 percent of the dead. The Israeli death toll reached 13, including ten soldiers and three civilians.
Hamas militants preparing rockets
Can anyone besides myself see anything wrong with this situation? All those rockets from Hamas that are reportedly causing such havoc and they have only managed to kill 3? And then here comes the mighty Israeli Army killing civilians by the score. Is there anyone else out there who sees anything wrong here ?
Sources close to the Obama transition team say the incoming administration is prepared to abandon Bush’s doctrine of isolating Hamas by establishing a channel to the Islamist organization, the Guardian reports. There is no talk of Obama approving direct diplomatic negotiations with Hamas early on, but he is being urged by advisers to initiate low-level or clandestine approaches, and there is growing recognition in Washington that the policy of ostracising Hamas is counter-productive, the Guardian says. Richard Haass, who was named by news organisations as Obama’s choice for Middle East envoy, supports low-level contacts with Hamas provided there is a ceasefire in place and a Hamas-Fatah reconciliation emerges.
Okay. What about this instead: “the incoming administration is prepared to abandon all of Bush’s doctrines”. Better? I thought so.
It is about high time that we begin talks with Hamas. The meme about “we don’t negotiate with terrorists” is just a right-wing talking point and absolutely untrue. During a bank robbery/hostage situation, who’s the first guy the cops call? The negotiator.
In this case, Israel might be better suited if our negotiator settles the issues with Fatah v. Hamas first. Israel should withdraw back to its borders to enable the negotiations to happen, then plans should be made for a new election.
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