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The West Warms to Hamas, But Israel Stays Cold

Posted Mar 24, 08 9:25 PM CDT in World 

(Newser) – The West may be warming to talks with Palestine's radical Hamas party, the Christian Science Monitor reports. The EU is promoting them, and Washington has nudged Egypt to spark Israel-Hamas dialogue, although Jerusalem remains staunchly opposed. "Whoever invites us to negotiate with Hamas is actually inviting us to negotiate on the size of our coffin and on the number of flowers we want on it," one Israeli official said.

But 2 years of diplomatic silence by the West has failed to isolate Hamas, which is growing more popular in Palestine. A recent poll showed that leader Ismail Haniyeh would beat Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in an election. And one scholar says talks are necessary: Hamas holds “what Israel wants, which is peace and security,” so any peace deal must be approved by the extremists.

Source Christian Science Monitor

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Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, right, greets U.S. Vice President Dick Cheney.   (AP Photo/Muhammed Muheisen)
Ismail Haniyeh, the Hamas Prime Minister, waves after speaking at the Islamic University in Gaza City, Wednesday, March 12, 2008.   (AP Photo/Hatem Moussa)
Head of the Hamas government, Ismail Haniyeh, speaks after prayers at a mosque in Gaza City, Friday, Feb. 29, 2008.   (AP Photo/Hatem Moussa)
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Hamas • Mahmoud Abbas • Egypt • Arab Israeli conflict • negotiation • Ismail Haniyeh


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