MARC GOPIN
Published: May 16, 2008


Israelis are Talking to Hamas: Religion at the Cutting Edge


There are Israeli Jews who have been talking to Hamas for years, especially
Rabbi Menahem Frohman. In fact, even more Israeli Jews - official and
unofficial - would be talking not only to Hamas, but also to Syria and Iran
were the White House not pressuring them against dialogue with enemies of
Israel.
This is unprecedented: a third party, supposedly mediating for peace, that
forbids two parties from talking to each other.
Sober intelligence analysts at the highest levels in Israel have been
arguing the virtue of negotiation and a process of offers and counter-offers
- not because they are nonviolence activists, but because they are realists
seeking the path of least resistance to a more stable and safe Middle East.
They have every intention of confronting the military threat from Hamas,
Hezbollah and Iran, but through a subtle combination of approaches, not the
least of which is negotiation.

They understand very well that an offer to an inveterate enemy that does not
recognize your existence is not a capitulation, but rather a test. It is a
test that will put constructive pressure on radicals to come to the table,
or split among themselves. All good news for realists.
There are also religious Israeli Jews who have honed their negotiation
skills with Hamas over many years now. Rabbi Frohman, along with Khaled
Amayreh, a Hebron journalist close to Hamas, have come up with a ceasefire
that is realistic, but also appealing to the religious frame in which Hamas
exclusively operates.
This was not an official document, but it has been followed by important
statements released by Hamas leader Khaled Meshaal in Syria, regarding
interest in an agreement between Hamas and Israel to not target civilians,
which would mean an end to suicide attacks.

In addition, Meshaal has come out with a statement that appears to accept
Israel's existence within the 1967 borders, which appears to meet a major
criterion for Western acceptance of Hamas. These are all positive signs, and
yet it comes in the midst of military moves by Israel and Syria that are
making everyone nervous about a coming confrontation.
This is all the more reason for an aggressive embrace of an agreement with
Hamas that would prevent another unnecessary war or outbreak of hostilities.
Here are excerpts from the ceasefire, or hudna, treaty that demonstrate a
path toward uniting a cultural and realistic path away from violent
solutions to the conflict between Hamas and Israel. The text is framed by
quotes that honor the Koran and the Bible:
"God is great, and He alone is able to bring a solution to the problems
standing between the noble Palestinian people and the venerable people of
Israel in the Holy Land.... It is possible, based on Jewish and Muslim law
alike, to present solutions that will bring divine providence to both noble
peoples, since the blessed Lord has bestowed upon them the grace of residing
in the Holy Land.... Starting from this premise, we seek to establish a
truce agreement (hudna) between the Palestinians and the Israelis, based on
what we have learned from the Prophets and the Messengers...."
According to the agreement, Israel and the Palestinian authorities in Gaza
undertake the following:


To end and abolish the sanctions imposed on the Gaza Strip in all forms,
effective immediately, including the following: Permitting normal economic
ties between the Gaza Strip and the outside world; Opening all crossing
points between Gaza and the outside world; this includes permitting free
movement and flow of goods and services to and from the Gaza Strip....

Undertakings of the Palestinian side: The authorities in the Gaza Strip must
take all necessary steps for putting a complete stop to the attacks against
Israel....Halting indefinitely all attacks and rocket fire against Israel...
stop any attacks against Israeli soldiers and civilians... halting suicide
attacks aimed at Israeli soldiers or civilians....

The purpose of a parallel process of establishing a Jewish/Muslim ceasefire
is not to undermine the secular processes of negotiation, indirect or
otherwise, but to build a better atmosphere of trust, and an understanding
of what enemies want from each other.


This will strengthen moderates in Hamas, like the minister of health, and
weaken the more extreme voices. It will create confusion among those who are
convinced that Jews and Israel will never compromise.

With Hezbollah's victory in Lebanon in recent days we simply cannot ignore
such groups anymore if we are to deescalate the dangerous trends of the
region. They are facts on the ground, and a hudna will help neutralize the
atmosphere of complete war.
Political Islam is a nonnegotiable feature of the Middle Eastern landscape
for the time being, but undermining its violent appeal by pursuing a
ceasefire and substantive change in the lives of Palestinians is the only
rational path to shared safety.
This approach respects religious partisans on both sides of the divide, and
also provides a practical way out of the current interminable cycle of
violence.
--


Marc Gopin is the James Laue Professor at the Institute for Conflict
Analysis and Resolution, George Mason University. This article was written
for the Common Ground News Service (CGNews).

To overstate the obvious, talking is better than fighting.

The Bush-Obama-McCain debate is so trivial it shouldn't even be news, but it is a slow day on the campaign front.

Look, America has spoken to enemies over the course of its history. After WW2, the USSR and USA went into a period of the Cold War as avowed enemies with billions spent on arms to fight each other in a war that never happened.

Then there were talks between the two.

Israel and Palestine have been fighting for years, and America dubbed the Palestine Liberation Organization under Yasser Arafat a terrorist organization.

Then there were talks between Palestine and Israel at America's initiative.

Saudi Arabia is teaching its children to hate America (this was on CBS 60 Minutes), and 19 of the 9-11 hijackers were Saudis, yet America holds Saudi Arabia as an 'ally'. In fact, Bush was there this weekend to ask King Abdullah to increase oil output. (Abdullah said no!).

America is 'talking' with North Korea via the six party Asian nations led by China.

America is prepared to talk with Iran's Mahmoud Ahmadinejad if the conditions are right.

What Obama is saying is that the time has come for a different approach to America's diplomacy. It is not unAmerican to talk with America's enemies if it will help avoid or resolve conflict.

quote:

Originally posted by Communicator:
The Bush-Obama-McCain debate is so trivial it shouldn't even be news, but it is a slow day on the campaign front.

Look, America has spoken to enemies over the course of its history. After WW2, the USSR and USA went into a period of the Cold War as avowed enemies with billions spent on arms to fight each other in a war that never happened.

Then there were talks between the two.

Israel and Palestine have been fighting for years, and America dubbed the Palestine Liberation Organization under Yasser Arafat a terrorist organization.

Then there were talks between Palestine and Israel at America's initiative.

Saudi Arabia is teaching its children to hate America (this was on CBS 60 Minutes), and 19 of the 9-11 hijackers were Saudis, yet America holds Saudi Arabia as an 'ally'. In fact, Bush was there this weekend to ask King Abdullah to increase oil output. (Abdullah said no!).

America is 'talking' with North Korea via the six party Asian nations led by China.

America is prepared to talk with Iran's Mahmoud Ahmadinejad if the conditions are right.

What Obama is saying is that the time has come for a different approach to America's diplomacy. It is not unAmerican to talk with America's enemies if it will help avoid or resolve conflict.

I saw the 60 mins show..a while back..I can show you where Americans are far more rabid in hating the saudis. I teach in a university where students come already brainwashed. It was not an entire saudi thing...some students do hate the US..others love them. report the show as it was.
TRhere is a diff between talking DOWN to, and talking WITH...which is why the chinese, Koreans and now arabs are telling the US to shove it. The europeans are smarter...well...on some issues..