The Washington Post published a long op-ed piece Tuesday by Palestinian prime minister (and Hamas leader) Ismail Haniyeh.
It’s basically one long whine, which can be summarized as “Why are you blaming us? It’s all Israel’s fault.” As an effort to win over public opinion in the US, it’s only slightly more useful than launching Qassams at Sderot and kidnapping Israeli soldiers, and about as effective as Hamas’s £100,000 PR makeover last winter.
Haniyeh– who relished the suffering of the life-loving Jews after a Hamas murderer in Netanya killed 30 Israelis at a Passover seder– makes the usual noises about coming to terms with Israel if it recognizes “the core dispute over the land of historical Palestine and the rights of all its people” (whatever that means), withdraws to the pre-1967 borders, etc.
At one point Haniyeh writes that if Israel meets all his conditions, a “fair and permanent peace is possible.” (My emphasis.) In the very next sentence, he undercuts even that suggestion by referring to a “hudna (comprehensive cessation of hostilities for an agreed time).” (Again my emphasis.) Does he not even notice this discrepancy? Or does he think nobody else will notice?
Haniyeh concludes wistfully:
If Americans only knew the truth, possibility might become reality.
I think Americans know the truth all too well, Mr. Haniyeh. Which is bad news for you and Hamas.
