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Former Israeli foreign minister Shlomo Ben-Ami.
 Limor Edrey
Last update - 10:35 26/02/2009
Former peace negotiators urge world to engage with Hamas
By Haaretz Service
Tags: Israel News, Hamas, Gaza 

A group of former international peace negotiators on Thursday urged the world and Israel to abandon the policy of isolating Hamas and engage with the Islamist militant group.

"The policy of isolating Hamas cannot bring about stability. As former peace negotiators, we believe it is of vital importance to abandon the failed policy of isolation and to involve Hamas in the political process," the group said in a letter published in the British newspaper The Times.

The letter said the futility of the policy had been demonstrated by Israel's recent offensive against Hamas in Gaza.
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Israel, the United States and the European Union consider Hamas a terrorist organization. Since the group took over the Gaza Strip in a bloody 2007 coup, the international community has largely complied with an Israeli-led blockade of the coastal territory and boycott of its rulers.

But the group stated that, "Whether we like it or not, Hamas will not go away. Since its victory in democratic elections in 2006, Hamas has sustained its support in Palestinian society despite attempts to destroy it through economic blockades, political boycotts and military incursions."

Among the letter's signatories were former Australian Foreign Minister Gareth Evans, former United Nations special coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process Alvaro de Soto, former leader of the Social Democratic Liberal Party of Northern Ireland John Hume, as well as former Israeli foreign minister Shlomo Ben-Ami.

They also argued that the involvement in Hamas was crucial to the success of stalled peace talks between Israel and the Palestinian Authority.
"An Israeli-Palestinian peace settlement without Hamas will not be possible," they wrote, quoting legendary Israeli military leader Moshe Dayan as saying that peace was made with enemies, not friends.

The former peace negotiators ended the letter by saying that engaging Hamas did not amount to condoning terrorism or attacks on civilians, but was, in fact, a precondition for security and for brokering a workable agreement.

The letter came after British Foreign Secretary David Miliband said on Wednesday that talking to the Hamas was "the right thing to do" but Egypt and other parties were best placed to do it.


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      1.   You DON`T make peace with enemies; you make peace with RIVALS. 08:44  |  Robert 26/02/09
      2.   Know your Australian politicians 09:04  |  Aussie Michael 26/02/09
      3.   Oh We Will Engage Hamas 09:17  |  Baruch Gold 26/02/09
      4.   Oh, Great, 09:47  |  Pekka 26/02/09
      5.   Talks with Hamas 09:50  |  Swiss 26/02/09
      6.   Engage with the correct warrior 09:59  |  Shimon Cleopas 26/02/09
      7.   They represent the general mood in most European capitals..... 10:01  |  Swiss (Dino) 26/02/09
      8.   The road to peace 10:16  |  Natallie Durson 26/02/09
      9.   Nuetral Observers vs Abu Zakaria 10:24  |  Sceptic 26/02/09
      10.   hamas must FIRST recognize israel`s right to exist 10:30  |  eric 26/02/09
      11.   Pasta 10:40  |  Ed 26/02/09
      12.   No, no! Don`t talk to Hamas 10:47  |  Goy 26/02/09
      13.   Neutral Observers vs Abu Zakaria, 2nd try 10:52  |  Sceptic 26/02/09
      14.   Has anyone of those politicians read the Hamas charter 10:55  |  Rachel 26/02/09
      15.   "Hamas has sustained its support in Palestinian society" 10:58  |  Esther 26/02/09
      16.   The times `they are a changing` 11:27  |  Roo 26/02/09
      17.   Make peace 11:33  |  Baruch 26/02/09
      18.   Engaging Hamas - reality and recent history 11:39  |  allang 26/02/09
      19.   @Robert: You DO make peace with enemies 11:44  |  Swiss Jew 26/02/09
      20.   @Robert: You DO make peace with enemies (part II) 11:47  |  Swiss Jew 26/02/09
      21.   Swiss Jew @11 11:51  |  gerhard 26/02/09
      22.   Road to peace 11:52  |  Natallie Durson 26/02/09
      23.   Know your "Aussie" Michael 11:52  |  Murat 26/02/09
      24.   It is a pity to see Jewish antisemites 11:56  |  Frank 26/02/09
      25.   Correct but incomplete: Saudi Plan is the only solution 12:00  |  Ivar 26/02/09
      26.   # 9 eric, sounds good, but I have to disagree..... 12:06  |  Swiss (Dino) 26/02/09
      27.   They engaged with Mugabe.Has Fraser been back to vist his protege 12:06  |  PETER SM 26/02/09
      28.   Engaging or engagement does not make a wedding. 12:08  |  Stephen. 26/02/09
      29.   # 8 Sceptic 12:14  |  Swiss (Dino) 26/02/09
      30.   Hamas gets it 12:15  |  Natallie Durson 26/02/09
      31.   # 22 I`m afraid the only (Jewish) "anti-Semite" in town is Frank 12:19  |  Swiss (Dino) 26/02/09
      32.   # 22 By the way, I forgot to mention the most important thing.... 12:25  |  Swiss (Dino) 26/02/09
      33.   #9, eric, miracles will happen 12:25  |  Cipora Julianna Kohn 26/02/09
      34.   @ Gerhard 12:27  |  Swiss Jew 26/02/09
      35.   #23. Ivar. Overstating certain facts. 12:29  |  Stephen. 26/02/09
      36.   IT`S TYPICAL WESTERNERS ATTITUDE 12:35  |  indrajaya 26/02/09
      37.   More like to embrace terrorism 12:40  |  Harvey 26/02/09
      38.   #.28. Dino. 12:49  |  Stephen. 26/02/09
      39.   NATALIE Road to peace requires a commitment to peace. 12:53  |  PETER SM 26/02/09
      40.   To all you who oppose engaging Hamas 12:55  |  C 26/02/09
      41.   Murat - do you know Aussies? 13:00  |  Zelkha 26/02/09
      42.   hamas must change its charter... 13:03  |  ohev tsion 26/02/09
      43.   #1 not so clever. How do you turn an enemy into a rival? By peace 13:11  |  C 26/02/09
      44.   ENGAGE WITH HAMAS 13:17  |  BARY 26/02/09
      45.   thats the attitude of surrender not negotiating as euqals 13:22  |  zionist forever 26/02/09
      46.   Esther 13:33  |  Axel 26/02/09
      47.   #2 Is that right, Aussie Michael? 13:40  |  Johnboy 26/02/09
      48.   Murat, LNP and Labour blamed Hamas 13:40  |  Peter Williams 26/02/09
      49.   #9 eric.. you go first ..no you! 13:42  |  Roo 26/02/09
      50.   Talk to Hamas- Swiss#5 13:42  |  Brian- Israel 26/02/09
      51.   Wasting their breath 13:44  |  Mark Lincoln 26/02/09
      52.   @ Gerhard 13:44  |  Swiss Jew 26/02/09
      53.   # 1 Robert : fighting the enemy and security 13:45  |  allang 26/02/09
      54.   # 22 I forgot to mention the most important thing in my # 28.... 13:51  |  Swiss (Dino) 26/02/09
      55.   Engage with Hamas? 14:16  |  Brod 26/02/09
      56.   Shlomo Ben Ami,unelectable FM honcho,offered at Taba Israel 15:06  |  Absolute Sweden 26/02/09
      57.   There is an alternative 15:06  |  John 26/02/09
      58.   "Sharia law means beheading, amputations, whipping and crucifixi" 16:44  |  fritz t. 26/02/09
      59.   Engae those who don`t accept your right to exist 16:45  |  me 26/02/09
      60.   No Engagement Until "Hamas Covenant 1988" Is Changed 16:48  |  Ovadiah ben Avraham 26/02/09
      61.   Talking with Hammas 17:02  |  arik 26/02/09
      62.   The Alternative for Swiss Dino and EU, 7 try 17:07  |  Sceptic 26/02/09
      63.   Comment 17:12  |  Rotuk Petar 26/02/09
      64.   The Reasons For Isolating Hamas 17:17  |  Jeff Northridge 26/02/09
      65.   Watch Channel 2 News 18:12  |  Gil 26/02/09
      66.   TO MAKE PEACE WITH ENEMIES YOU NEED TO DEFEAT THEM FIRST 18:45  |  Jacob 26/02/09
      67.   To Tachel 18:57  |  John 26/02/09
      68.   To # !0 Why? Dose Israel recognize the right of Palestine ? 19:25  |  Tom Clark 26/02/09
      69.   Hamas. 22:32  |  sandra chitayat 26/02/09
      70.   # 26 to swiss(d) re: my proposition 04:32  |  eric 27/02/09
      71.   #64 Well, THAT statement is open to question, Jeff 04:33  |  Johnboy 27/02/09
      72.   #64 Well, THAT pettered out near the end, Jeff 04:40  |  Johnboy 27/02/09
      73.   64~Jeff Northridge: Add a 9th important reason.. 09:35  |  Akram Zekaria 27/02/09
      74.   # 49 "mutual and public recognition of `each other`s rights"~roo 11:23  |  eric 27/02/09
      75.   eric #70 quite correct. 12:08  |  S 27/02/09
      76.   Hamas 18:04  |  Yvonne Wackernagel 27/02/09
      77.   #52 Swiss Jew 23:16  |  gerhard 27/02/09
      78.   #26 01:32  |  V 28/02/09
      79.   ISRAEL SECIURITY 02:28  |  A 28/02/09
      80.   ISRAEL SECIURITY 08:18  |  A 28/02/09
      81.   Right To Exist? 00:17  |  Murat 01/03/09
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