Gideon Levy / Obama, you won't make peace without talking to Hamas
America is again falling down on the job, Obama betraying his mission and the promise of his presidency.
By Gideon Levy Tags: Hamas Barack Obama Israel news PalestiniansIt's as if U.S. President Barack Obama did the least he had to. He "rebuked" Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas. That's not how a president with star power acts. That is not how a superpower does things. America is again falling down on the job, and Obama is betraying his mission and the promise of his presidency.
True, it's an anomaly that the United States wants a peace settlement more than the hawkish parties to the conflict, but the leader of the free world has a crucial role, and iheis not fulfilling it. Nine months after Obama assumed the presidency, precious time has been totally wasted, in the Middle East at least, and suspicions are growing that the promise of his presidency is on the wane, even if the man is attractive and uproariously funny on David Letterman. Laugh, laugh, but ultimately, where are the results?
Beautiful speeches like the one last night at the UN General Assembly are no longer enough. Being America means enjoying numerous international privileges, but also involves a few obligations. One of them is to look after world peace. Just as it set off for war and occupation in Iraq and Afghanistan in the name of global goals, however dubious, and just as it is working to prevent a nuclear Iran, America is also obligated to act to settle the Middle East conflict. That is not its right but its obligation. Locals don't want its services in either Iraq or Afghanistan, but America is shedding its own blood there nonetheless. Why? Because it believes this is essential to world security.
When he was elected, President Obama declared that the Middle East conflict was endangering world peace. Nothing is more true. The potential danger between Jenin, Gaza and Jerusalem is no less serious than that in the killing fields of Kandahar and Mosul. But what is the president doing to eliminate the fuel that feeds international terrorism? Or at least to show that he is doing something? He ruins nine whole months over the issue of a construction freeze in the settlements, and even that pathetic goal was not achieved.
It has to be one way or the other: Either Obama thinks a solution to the conflict isn't a worthy goal and so should get out of the picture and devote his energies elsewhere or he means what he said and must use all his power and act. Meanwhile, instead of change, we have gotten distressing continuity. Instead of "yes we can," we have gotten "no we can't."
Obama needs to turn things upside-down and break with convention. That's why he was elected. Two decisive steps would change things completely: an American effort to introduce Hamas into the negotiations and pressure on Israel to end the matter of the occupation. Simplistic? Perhaps, but the complex and gradual solutions haven't gotten us anywhere up to now. Like it or not, without Hamas peace is not possible. The fact that Obama has put his trust only in Abbas' Fatah has guaranteed failure, which was foreseeable. History has taught us that you make peace with your worst enemy, not with those who are seen as collaborators by their own people.
You also don't make peace with half a people, in half of the territory. Obama didn't even try to break this unnecessary spell and automatically went, unbelievably, down the path of his predecessor, George W. Bush. The president who was willing to engage North Korea and Iran and dares Venezuela and Cuba didn't even think about entering negotiations with Hamas. Why is it okay to talk to Iran but not to Hamas? Obama, too, thinks Hamas is fit for negotiations only over the fate of a single soldier, Gilad Shalit, but not over the fate of two peoples.
The second step, which is no less essential, is applying pressure on Israel. Given Israel's total dependence and in the face of its blindness to the price of the occupation, Obama's friendship with Israel is actually to be judged by the steps he would seemingly take against Israel. As Israel's isolation in the world only grows, and the danger of Iran threatens the country, Israel's best friend must pressure its ally and save it from itself. Instead, we got another condemnation of the Goldstone Commission report, this time from the new American ambassador to the United Nations, Susan Rice, who had held the promise of major change.
It's not too late. True, the initial momentum has been lost, but now, following this week's "summit of rebukes," America must hurry up and rebuke itself and mainly ponder how to get out of the booby trap to which it has succumbed. Now, too, only America can (and must) do it.
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"Hamas must be destroyed." (M. J. Koch) No problem with that. The only real question is "how?" And as I put it to you, the least effective way to do it, is to keep building in the West Bank. First, because it only plays into the hands of Islamists in helping them to paint Mahmoud Abbas and his troops as collaborators and traitors to their people. Who, in his right senses, would agree to negotiate on a piece of land while its present occupant is busy building on it houses for his family? Second, because if settlement construction continues and Israel does not separate from the Palestinians, the country will inevitably slide into a reality in which a Jewish minority is facing an impossible choice: To forcibly impose its rule over an Arab majority, OR, for those of us who are still here, to accept resignedly to live in a "one-man-one-vote" state for two peoples. It would then mark the end of a Jewish and democratic Jewish state, and the failure of the Zionist enterprise. Hamas does not pray for more.
"Hammas's central premise is to create an Islamic State on the whole territory of Israel." (Proud Israeli) Yes, everybody knows that. Tell us rather something new, that not everyone knows. For instance, how do you think they intend to accomplish that, without tanks, jets, or sophisticated weaponry, from their little enclave stuck between us and Egypt, and denied free access to the sea, -- against the most powerful army in the Middle East? Please enlight us, Proud but so naive Israeli.
Many of the talkbacks on this article are hopelessly ignorant and naive about the murderous nature of Hamas and the fact that for all practical purposes they are pawns of the radical extremist regime in Iran. As foreigners the ignorance of those talkbacks may be excusable. Gideon Levy - what is your excuse for such an oversimplified representation of the facts?
Arab hostility and terrorism against Israel began decades BEFORE the settlements started. Until 1990 Arab terrorism was sponsored and encouraged by the USSR. The collapse of the USSR in 1991 created an opportunity for peace and the process began to gather momentum in 1992. Now it is Iran that is sabotaging the peace. Who do you think provided the rockets that Hamas fired into Israel for 8 years leading to the 2009 war? When Israel intercepts rocket shipments to Gaza who do you think has sent them?
Iran is not the problem, Israel is the problem. The brainwashed lunatics in the US and Israel don't get it do they ? It is the occupation stupid. Get out of Palestinian territory. Simple. Iran is not doing anything to anyone.
If Levy is a Jew then he is a self-hating jew with the craziest notion of justice in the world. Wise up..there will never be "peace" with the Jewkillers of the world. Nor should there be. Kill Jewkillers...don't make deals with them. Don't kill off Hammas and all their followers? You're crazy if you don't.
The 2009 war taught Hamas a lesson but didn't end their intransigence. As long as Iran continues with its hostile agenda and continues to encourage Hamas terrorism the possibility of achieving anything by talking to Hamas is zero.
What kind of jewish fool thought up giving the Promised Land to Jewkillers? Never. The West Bank is the Biblical Jewish homeland: the Promised Land. You don't need peace with Jewkillers..you need to kill them and anyone that walks down any street that is named for one.
..there will not be a lasting peace in any predictable future.Everyone should stop speaking (support and finance) the so-called Palestinians as long as they do not present an united responsible entity. Fatah plays the "peace" game for its own convenient purposes and the Hamas the war game..both have the very same objective, only a different approach on how to achieve it! Say it's not true Levy..listen to what they say and do.
WRONG! Obama wont make peace without really talking to Israel and U.S. Senate and Congress! he may be a Captain but he still needs a rudder.
"It is the Israeli settlers and Haredim that Obama needs to rather directly address, because they do not feel their government sufficiently represents their interests." (Kelly Brians) What about Bibi directly addressing in one of his speeches those US citizens who do not feel their interests are sufficiently represented by the present Administration? One must be very naive to imagine a US President getting publicly involved in a debate/quarrel between a democratically elected foreign leader and some dissatisfied part of his people. Is this how the settlers and Haredim feel? Let them work, by democratic means, toward a new government more closely attuned to their preferences. This is the only option open to them.
I for once in a very long time agree with Gideon Levy, at least half way. We cannot make peace with a fragmented Palestinian leadership and without making peace with the Gazan "half" of the Palestinian equation. I fully agree. I think that in this respect Gideon has one eye fully open. On the other hand, where I believe Gideon has the other eye fully shut, is that talking to Hammas, negotiating with Hammas, sending them flowers, or whatever,will never bring us any closer to peace either. Hammas's central premise is to create an Islamic State on the whole territory of Israel, and once achieved, then continue on to the rest of the world. They have said it over and over and over,,, and over again. Perhaps one should start listening to what they are saying??? The best we can achieve with them is a transient Hudna, in which their self-declared purpose is to build their military capacity so that they continue the armed struggle. Sorry Gideon, please open your eyes!
Hamas is a Palestinian problem and they must solve it.-OZ OZ, the split of Hamas and the Palestinian government is the result of Israel's intervention. It refused to recognize Hamas, and if i recall correctly would not negotiate with the Palestinians if Hamas were included in the cabinet.
Obama, by talking to Iran, will be talking to Hamas. Khaled Mashaal is a primary member of the Iran camp. The people that Obama is leaving out of the discussion are really the Israeli settlers and Haredim. It is them that Obama needs to rather directly address, because they are one of the biggest stakeholders, and they do not feel the Israeli government sufficiently represents their interests.
When Israel negotiated with Egypt and Jordan the leaders of those two countries did not seek to deny the existence of the State of Israel and refuse to ever recognize it. Hamas continues to publicly state that they will never recognize the State of Israel. They are not engaging in hyberbole but are telling the world the truth about their firm beliefs. Knowing that Hamas and their clones from Hezbollah and Al Queda refuse to recognize the existence of Israel it would be insane to negotiate anything with these people except your total surrender. The Nazi's, Facists, and Soviet Empire had to be defeated as the only way they could otherwise have been dealt with would have meant the defeat of the free world, and likewise, there will never ever be peace until Hamas, Hezbollah, and Al Queda are defeated and destroyed. Psychopathic murderers who delight in the murder of youu children cannot be negotiated with.
There's a price to pay in staying up late at night watching Letterman as I did on Monday when he had President Obama and Tuesday when he had President Clinton. It's always welcoming to have some comic relief with the current political impasse, but you're absolutely tired the next day, let me tell you. I'm not particularly worried of President Obama's approach with the upcoming talks and commitment to the Middle East peace process because he comes across, as Hillary Clinton and Dennis Ross, being strait-laced (having or showing very strict moral attitudes) in adhering to the diplomatic obligations of the Road Map, supported by U.N. resolutions as a backup, and I don't see them wavering from these characteristics on behalf of global peace. Can't say the same for Netanyahyu.
Hamas said just the other day that they were willing to make peace if Israel settled for comprising its pre-6-day war borders. It might have been waffle, but that's what they said. Talking to Hamas does not ensure peace, Gideon Levy never said it did. He said only that not talking to Hamas guarantees there will be no peace. That makes sense.
Hamas is not the Palestinians problems it is their solution. You should try and disengage from the Israeli propaganda machine about Hamas. Yes, Hamas has done bad things but so has every resistant going under the sun and I would argue Israel has done much more as a state to the Palestinian people. Yet Hamas has proven to be responsible leaders despite US/Israeli criticism and it has won the respect of the Palestinian people in a free and fair election certified by Jimmy Carter and other world leaders. Plus Hamas has brought Israel the kind of peace Sharon couldn't seem to deliver with its 18 month long cease-fire in 2005-2006. Please see the Baker Report on Iraq . It talks about regional and world peace and the need to resolve the Palestinian /Israeli conflict in accomplishing those broad and necessary goals. Dutch http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iraq_Study_Group_Report
Hamas is a Palestinian problem and they must solve it.The condition for the Palestinian should be,no negotiation with Obama or Israel before Palestinian unity with one program. How can one accept the current situation and think that there is a partner for peace.It would be the same if The Palestinian will negotiate with the Israeli government,while the Israeli military is not on the deal.Even a "green" like Obama should know that there is no HALF PEACE!
I was wondering why so many times when the US want to help in a conflict,we have a seperation. West and Easr Germany,North and South Korea, North and South Vietnam.Now they are doing it again.The way Obama is going if it will succeed it would result with West and East Palestine.
after reading the Hamas Charter, after listening to what they actually say, and looking at videos of Hamas butchering Fatah members. Then let us hear how and what Israel must say to Hamas.
Hamas has never abandoned its charter calling for the elimination of Israel, nor their blatantly anti-Semitic educational policies in general. Hamas is a racist political outpost of Iran. Gideon Levy must be running for a post on the next Judenrat board. As we know, those posts, once obtained, have "term limits" when the board is "disbanded".
"... without Hamas peace is not possible" [Levy] But Hamas itself says peace is NOT possible. From their charter and everything they have ever done, I am convinced that Hamas is telling the truth.
Precisely; if Hamas comes to a negotiating table it negates it's charter.
Unlike Mr. Levy, I am willing to give Hamas credit for meaning what they say. And they have made it abundantly clear that they are not interested in peace. What precisely does Mr. Levy plan to say to them to get them to change their mind? He'll give them the Sudetenland as long as that's their absolutely last territorial demand in Europe?
I think this is a very unreasonable article. Look the United States economy is vulnerable and the Federal Government's finances are in a shocking state that will take decades to fix while the U.S. is militarily stretched in Iraq, Pakistan, Afghanistan. It isn't for American taxpayers to do anything to "pressure" Israelis and Palestinians to end their 100-year old civil war. President Obama, like every President since (but not including Eisenhower) has washed his hands of the "israeli palestinian" conflict. If there is no will for 2 states, then that's fine - another 10 or 15 years Fatah will be dead and gone and the subjects of the Land of Israel will campaign - if they have brains peacefully - for suffage and equal citizenship rights as their next door neighbours in Judea, Samaera and gaza. Enough already with this stuff - the 2 state solution was buried in the 1990s.
Since Mr. Levy agrees with Mr. Obama that the middle east conflict endangers world peace, could he kindly explain what is "world peace".I was born in the year Japan invaded Manchuria (1931)and since then I do not recollect any significant period of "world peace". Nor does any respectable historian consider the Palestinian-Israeli conflict a threat to "world peace". The conflict does exist but there are no major powers ready to support militarily one side or the other. Without attempting to trivialize the issue, let us keep things in their rightful proportion.
Dear Mr.Levy Please find another proffesion. Everything you say seems crooked, removed from common sense and decency. In these awsom days please give Am Israel a break. Shana tova E. Shermn
Israel should not take so long as England did to understand this. You make peace by talking to your enemies, not your friends. And deal made with Fatah, by ignoring Hamas policial mandate (the were democratically elected) and those who voted for them (a majority, even in the West Bank) will fail miserably just as the same types of attempts failed in Ireland. It took a stong American President to take the steps break ranks and engage Sinn Fein, that was Bill Clinton. Obama is no Clinton I'm afraid
You are really true and correct. i admire your courage. (Thanks Olivia)
Hamas knows only their Charter of Death against Israel. This is the codification of their modus operandi. Talking to Hamas is like talking to their latest hero of the year, the infamous Dr. of Death, the Khar of Iran, Ahmadinejad, who also believes the only good Jew is one who is subject to Islam wherever he may live in the Caliphate. Levy, why don't you go talk to Hamas? You can begin by asking them where exactly did the ancient Temples in Jerusalem stand in relation to the Dome of the Rock ... 50m NW or NNW or not at all?
....that many people were afraid he might become 10 months ago, when they saw who he was surroun- ding himself with in his cabinet. With folks like Hillary Clinton and Dennis Ross involved into the decision making, there is no way, that the U.S. administration will become the honest and trusted broker that the world would urgently need. Add to that the influence of the "reactionary forces" in Washington D.C., and there is no way that the Obama administration will be capable of tearing down the ideological barriers which would allow them to start having a dialogue with a "difficult" organisation like Hamas. With his total surrender to right-wing Israel on the question of settlement freeze, Obama hasn't only lost any kind of authority, but also helped strengthening old anti-Jewish stereotypes in this world ("Jewish control"). "Well done", indeed....
What is there to talk to Hamas about? They're dedicated, in accordance to their charter, to the destruction of Israel and vows never to make peace.
"To save Israel from itself" ... it is exactly what I felt when I travelled to Israel and palestinian territories. A crazy situation, in which history put pepople from middle east in. Military power, and american assistance in any case, which helps israeli in a short term, but which will lead to very bad end in long term if any american president "saves Israel from itself" beeing strong and ferm with it, like a true friend.
The problem is their wars - 65 of them to date have been waged by the US. They also see that there is a conflict of mammoth proportion when the reality is the jews of Israel will not stand up to their criminal governments and just keep on electing worse criminals. Sort of like Afghanistan where there is no difference between the criminal mujihadeen started by the US to beat the Russians and the criminal Taliban started by the US when the mujihadeen got too stroppy. Every PM and President of Israel has been a war criminal, land thieve and thug and Israel has never tried to stop them. Akiva and Idith make the reality very starkly in "Lords of the Land" that Israel and jews in general have always actively encouraged the criminals in the West Bank and the minority voice against is so small it is negligible. Because the reality is that the vast majority of jews are so deluded they believe they are above the law - that ain't anti-semitic, that's just the truth.
Levy is asking for the impossible for the US to talk to Hamas because of the skeleton in its closet since its instigated but failed PA assault on Gaza in 2006. I don't see the US talking to Hamas without first admitting and apologizing for it. Israel has not been doing anything to Gaza that is not acceptable to the US. The American reaction to the Goldstone report was to be expected as what continues to be done in Afghanistan and Iraq is not any less horrible than what Israel did in Gaza; same MO, same colourful munitions.
During the campaign he was actually accused of hypocrisy for suggesting to talk to Iran and North Korea but not to Hamas, and the reason for his refusal to talk to Hamas came from the fact that both the Israeli government and many of us in the Jewish community (who were already terrified of him and whose support he needed pretty badly) told him not to because we felt that it would "legitimize them..." I'm not exactly a fan of Obama but we can't threaten him during the election to not talk to hamas, and then criticize him later when he doesn't...
Gideon Levy, I agree the only way forward is to include Hamas in the diplomatic negotiations. After all, they were the Palestinian peoples' choice in a free and fair election and Obama should respect and honor the Palestinian peoples' will. In addition, I agree Obama should maintain the only way for Israel is to reduce Israel its existential threat from Iran and to foster peace and stability in the region. Thanks again, Dutch
Hamas was elected but the moment they behaved like a guerilla group ans stated a coup killing their opposition, they proved democracy was abused and used and earned the distrust of the people. Holding on to power by brute force, will they allow themselves to be unelected? No, I doubt this. They are not a dictatorship. And a group whoes focus is war with it's neighbour, not peace. Talking with them would do what? They reflect what, the will of the people? NO they have grabbed power to use the people as insurance, a way to get noticed, as prisoners of their policies. Do they really care for the people? or just for themselves?
Gideon, when Hamas spokesman Haniyeh has reiterated the acceptance of a Palestinian state aligned on the pre-1967 borders and Obama declares to the UN his intention to establish a viable independent Palestinian state with contiguous territory that ends the occupation that began in 1967, then there's nothing left to negotiate but how and when Israeli withdraw from the illegally occupied Palestinian territory!
Gideon. I couldn't agree more Obama has got to stop playing to Fatah and move towards inviting Hamas to the negotiating table. Hamas officials were the peoples' democratic choice in 2006 and Obama should respect and honor the Palestinian peoples' will. And yes, of course Obama needs to break the spell and I suggest he start by removing Hamas from the terrorist list. (The interna- tional community could help pave the way for this to occur.) After all, Hamas has never targeted anyone but Israelis, it has no ties to international terrorist groups and hasn't engaged in suicide bomb- ing for the last 2-3 yrs and with the ending the occupation Obama should maintain it reduces Israel's existential threat from Iran. This all warrants a review and indeed a change in strategy and just as the Secretary Of Defense, Roberts Gates argued for taking Poland off the missile Defense system list-so should an Obama lead man argue the case for Hamas and ending the occupation . Dutch
Spoken to Assad, Nasser, Arafat, Saddam Hussain, Ayatollah Kohemeni, Ahmadinijad, Kim Jong, and Adolph Hitler. No avail, None! When the Arabs keep coming up with ever lower common deminators and ever lower forms of humanity the US has no obligation to allow negotiations to cover for murder. Gideon can go talk to hamas; the rockets will still fall, the hate will continue, Shalit will rot in a cell and in Gideon's eyes the Arabs will still never do harm nor has done harm....
Not Obama Nor Gideon Levy can make peace . The only way to make peace is by recognizing Israel as a Jewish stated as in the 29th of November 1947 in the U.N. Giving the right of return to millions of Palestinians which will make it another Muslim state. They will never accept us under any conditions , they convinced me after 61 years. A Labor voter for 50 Years.
Obama is a hack, he was never man enough for the job, and would seem to be shrinking every day.
...groundwork has to be done first for credibility. Bibi is driving Israel into the ground, and doesn't even know it. The fall will come. It's that magical American thing.
Hezballah has said it will recognize Israel. Hamas differs not from Hezballah, as they have the same master. If Hamas will never recognize Israel,what is the pont of talking to them. Perhaps if Israel and Abbas actually make peace,doubtful tho that may be, Hamas may feel it is being left out.