Hamas Comes Out of Hiding

[Violet_Crumble]

By PAUL McGEOUGH
Published: April 12, 2009

JUST a year and a half ago, visiting Khalid Mishal, the supreme leader of Hamas, was a cloak-and-dagger affair. In September 2007, I climbed into the back of a curtained Mercedes to make the dash from central Damascus to the southern suburbs, where the Palestinian group operated from a high-security enclave reserved for senior officials of the Syrian government.


<snip>

Pressed on policy changes that Hamas might make as a gesture to any new order, Mr. Mishal argued that the organization has already shifted on several key points: “Hamas has already changed — we accepted the national accords for a Palestinian state based on the 1967 borders, and we took part in the 2006 Palestinian elections.”

On the crucial question of rewriting the Hamas charter, which calls for the destruction of Israel, he was unbending: “Not a chance.” Khalid Mishal is not Yasir Arafat — he is not looking for a Nobel Peace Prize. Among the Hamas articles of faith is a belief that in renouncing violence and in recognizing Israel’s right to exist in 1993, Mr. Arafat sinned against his people. (Nonetheless, others to whom he speaks have told me that Mr. Mishal has said that “when the time comes,” Hamas will make some of the moves demanded of it by the West.)

Curiously, amid rising calls from politicians and policy makers around the world for Hamas to be given a seat at the Middle East negotiating table, Mr. Mishal made clear that he was willing to bide his time. His message is, “Watch what we do, not what we say.”

While it is impossible for many in the West to grasp the calculus in the Hamas strategy of war and terror, the movement has demonstrated that it is disciplined in holding its fire, as it did in the summer and fall of 2008. Likewise, it has proved itself capable of negotiating with Israel — albeit through third parties.

Over the long term, Hamas accepts the concept of two states in the Levant, which arguably puts Mr. Mishal’s terrorist movement closer to Washington than Netanyahu is — he now proposes only “economic peace” between Jews and Palestinians.

Paul McGeough, a correspondent for The Sydney Morning Herald of Australia, is the author of “Kill Khalid: The Failed Mossad Assassination of Khalid Mishal and the Rise of Hamas.”

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/13/opinion/13mcgeough.html?_r=1

[bemildred]

1. Lebanon's Hezbollah savors increasing legitimacy

Reporting from Beirut -- On one point, the United States agrees with Hezbollah's No. 2 leader, Naim Qassem, and not such allies as Britain.

Neither Qassem nor Washington distinguish between the Shiite militant group's political wing, which has members serving in the Lebanese Cabinet and parliament, and its military wing, preparing for the next round of battle against Israel. "Hezbollah has a single leadership," said the 57-year-old cleric in a rare interview with an American reporter recently.

"All political, social and jihad work is tied to the decisions of this leadership," he said. "The same leadership that directs the parliamentary and government work also leads jihad actions in the struggle against Israel."

To the alarm of Israel and the United States, Hezbollah has been enjoying increased legitimacy across the world. The British Foreign Ministry recently said it would shift course and begin talks with Hezbollah political leaders. And Latin American lawmakers and European peace activists attend Hezbollah conferences on "resistance" to Israel.

http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/world/la-fg-lebanon-hezbollah13-2009apr13,0,5664917.story

[Vegasaurus]

2. "Over time Hamas accepts the concept of two states"

in the meanwhile, they will kill as many Jews and Israelis as possible and continue to talk about endless violent resistance until they destroy Israel.

At least Hamas is honest.

Good thing Israel has walls and checkpoints against that insanity.

[Jefferson23]

3. Dennis Kucinich: January 7, 2009 speaks about the insanity quite succinctly here:

“We cannot truly celebrate a New Year, a new Congress and a new administration if all we see is the same old destruction in the Middle East with US weapons being illegally used to kill children.

“I oppose Hamas' rocket attacks on Israel. The rocket attacks, even to try to end the blockade, have no moral justification, are illegal and must stop.

“But how can Israel claim self defense when it bombs Gaza which has no army, no air force, no navy and has been under a constant blockade?

“How can Israel claim self defense when its bombs destroy UN schools, killing children?

“The children of Palestinians and the children of Israel both deserve life. But the lives of the children of Gaza are cynically discounted as "human shields". Massacres are being rationalized. Israel's "moral high ground" in Gaza, a growing pile of small bones in a graveyard.

“The Administration knows Israel is using US weapons, paid for by US taxpayers, with disproportionate force creating a collective punishment of Gazans, assuring an escalation of conflict, clear violations of the Arms Export Control Act.

“Israel was given U.S. weapons on condition they would not be used for aggression or escalation. The outgoing Administration must finally stand for the rule of law, not the rule of force.”

http://kucinich.house.gov/News/DocumentSingle.aspx?DocumentID=108184

[ohio2007]

5. DK is out of step with the party. He voted NO on bailouts

And as a result,no pork for him .

[azurnoir]

6. Thanks for the heads up on the Democratic parties

apparent habit of punishing those not in lockstep, so is Kucinich your congress critter? If so did you vote for him?

[Jefferson23]

7. Dennis stands up for what is moral and just, he was one of only 5 to

vote against the resolution H.Res 34, so yea, he is not in step with the schmucks who go along, thank God.

[ohio2007]

4. “Not a chance.”

On the crucial question of rewriting the Hamas charter, which calls for the destruction of Israel, he was unbending: “Not a chance.”