I have long argued for involving Hamas in the political process. The idea is to turn efficient terrorists into corrupt politicians. Power corrupts even the staunchest, and Hamas would surely sell its ideals for red-carpet receptions.
That approaches requires tolerating their rhetoric for the time being. Words are just words. Israeli Basic Law proclaims the Jewish State within the ostensible biblical borders. So what? Egypt didn’t demand the Basic Law be revoked as a prerequisite of the Sinai treaty.
But Israel acts stupidly, and America follows. What do you expect, ostracizing Hamas? After Arafat’s death, Hamas was the only symbol, the only charisma. The West should remember what happens when an aggressive government is ostracized and isolated. That path led to WWII.
That is happening now: Hamas started by offering a truce, the greatest moderation possible, because Muslims can offer a truce only to infidels. Quasi-religious Hamas could not theoretically offer peace to Israel. Ostracized and bullied, Hamas of course slipped onto the habitual path of radicalism—and will stay there. The best-case scenario of bureaucratizing a terrorist organization transforms into the worst-case scenario of a terrorist organization acquiring a state of its own.
Forget about Hamas’ pronouncements. Take them with a grain of salt. Have them put the frock coats on. Put martinis in their hands. Make them smile with foreign celebrities at photo-ops. Look below the surface; control your reactions. Learn ideological warfare.
This doesn't make sence at all. The "truce" Hamas "offered" was predicated on full withdrawal to pre-1967 borders and total deportation of all Jews from the de-facto Hamas state in the territories (including Jerusalem), supposedly your "worst-case scenario".
And, oh, you forgot. They don't drink martini.
How long you think it takes for men of conviction to get corrupted en masse? It took decades in Soviet case, and I suspect Islamists convictions are stronger. One option is to isolate their children and bring them up in Western values to liberate them from the murderous culture of their fathers, but there's no power on the planet which is prepared to do that, not now. No-one is even prepared to launch a sustained subversive propaganda campain on their culture, like it was done to the Soviet regime post WWII.
Well, in Soviet case corruption was in full swing by early 1930s.
How long to corrupt men of convictions? Consider Olmert. He voted against Camp David, but succumbed to money and leftist wife soon afterwards.
Obadiah doesn't suggest to withdraw for a truce. His point is that Hamas acted sensibly in its system of values.
About Martini - that's figurative only. Virgin Pina Colada.