Obama's "Engagement": Is Hamas Next?

Text: La Republicca summary of interview with Meshaal (in Italian)

Barack Obama has a new admirer.

Hamas political director Khaled Meshaal, speaking over the weekend to the Italian newspaper La Republicca, said: ""A new language toward the region is coming from President Obama."

More importantly, Meshaal made clear that Hamas is ready to take a relationship with the Obama Administration to the next level, notably the hand-holding and chats that would come with Washington's recognition of the Palestinian organisation:

The challenge for everybody is for this to be the prelude for a genuine change in US and European policies. Regarding an official opening toward Hamas, it's a matter of time.

The analysis of La Republicca was that Meshaal was riding the wave of Obama's Friday message to Iran; however, the Hamas leader made no reference to that US initiative. Instead, his comments should be read in light of Gaza. They are a signal that Hamas has not only survived the Israeli onslaught of December but has emerged politically stronger, and it is a clear challenge to Washington to recognise that "reality":

The great powers need us in order to resolve the Arab-Israeli conflict. Our weight in the Palestinian problem comes from us being rooted in the society, in the population, which voted for us and will do it again.

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[don mac namara]

Beware of what you wish for - you may get it

Netanyahu and his attempts to form a government in Israel.

As Netanyahu walks the shifting tightrope in formation a new government he is focused on the past and must be ever conscious about the possibilities of the future.
He will be aware of two failed military campaigns against the extreme Islamists - one in southern Lebanon , the second on Gaza.
He faces an unpredictable reliance on the Obama administrations response should he chose to chase the Iranian dragon in another venture into Gaza.
He is conscious tha on the one hand , the electorate are baying for blood in revenge for their National humiliation at the hand of a band of terrorists.
He is conscious also tha the military have now posted the views of Israeli soldiers in Harraz newspaper , and that his predecessor had already enlisted a legal defence for the soldiers ; most especially the officers should they face prosecutions by the ICHR .and or the UN
His predecessor , lest it be forgotten will be facing his own trial of corruption as soon as the new government is formed.

Netenyahu is American trained, and had spent his formative years in the USA.
He has been granted that which he prayed for - and feared ; an inevitable alliance with the ultra orthodox right which will demand his pursuit of an aggressive policy against the leaders of the Gazans , bearing in mind that despite the shared petulance of both the EU and the USA in their persistent obduracy in refusing to negotiate with Hamas , given that Hamas are the democraticaly elected representatives of the Gazans.

He will be conscious also that Abu Massen - Abbas - used a contrivance to pay the resident doctors to stay away from their work , in order that he , Abbas could point the finger of scorn at the Gazans for not being able to look after those in need of medical care . This strategy has rebounded with a vengeance on Abbas resulting in his former constituents turning away from Abbas and Fatah,

Netanyahu has less that two more weeks to form a government. He may demand more time. If however he can entice Tipi Livni on board he might salvage something from the sinking ship that is Israeli politics.
But even if Labour enjoin Liked , it will make for the most unwieldy coalition in decades.
Compromises will keep it patched together for a while.

But it is all contingent on just how much George Mitchell and Hillary Clinton are prepared to accept in terms of Israeli expansionism in the occupied territories.

The US are coming round to their independent thinking re a two state solution. Mr Netanyahu does not accept this . He speaks of stimulating the Palestinian economy as a substitute for allowing the Palestinians their Nationhood.
This is akin to offering the potatoes but denying the meat. There will be no meat.
A plan for economic stimulus is not a substitute for ones deprivation of Statehood.

In the circumstances , Mr Obama has cut Netenyahu off at the pass with his address to the Iranian people last week.
This exposes the Israeli rogue plan to contemplate a pre-emptive strike against Iran in the name of Israeli self defence.
It may stay Netanyahu’s hand for the moment .
But the chips have fallen the wrong way for Netanyahu.
He must look like Janus to his front and his rear, and keep a watchful eye to the sidelines al the while .