My talk with hamas about peace with Isarael
My talk with Hamas about peace with Israel
By Helena Cobban
Washington – Since his first days in office, President Obama has defined winning a final peace between Israel and the Palestinians as an urgent US interest.
On Jan. 21 he named former Senate majority leader George Mitchell his envoy to achieve that peace, and Mr. Mitchell has since made four fact-finding trips to the Middle East. But neither has yet said how the administration will grapple with one of the biggest challenges that peace diplomacy faces: the continuing strength of the Palestinian Islamist movement, Hamas.
Hamas has been on the State Department’s "terrorism list" since its founding in 1987. It has steadfastly refused to recognize Israel. But it has also won – and kept – considerable popular support among Palestinians.
