Why are we talking to Hamas?

Our leaders only care about world opinion, ignore Hamas dangers

Shaul Goldstein|Published: 05.20.08 , 17:54

Israeli and American representatives are using any platform to explain that Iran is the source of global terror threats, yet in the same breath they work to establish another smaller Iran that is no less sophisticated and much closer to Israel. Its official name will be Palestine. Its official government will be Hamas. Its actions will be similar: Preparations for eliminating the State of Israel. It is strange that the price Israel is required to pay for America’s war on terror is the boosting of Hamas of all things.

At times, our leaders forget that beliefs do not change so quickly: The same people who denied the Holocaust and supported terrorism will not be the ones who safeguard our security. With or without the High Court of Justice, they will continue to realize their goals using any means at their disposal. And they are not alone. The radical Muslim world is behind them.

The PLO’s or Palestinian Authority’s secular leadership is merely the puppet that takes front stage. Behind it, Hamas leaders are already waiting for Bush-style “democratic” elections in order to take power. Islamist leaders at any mosque in the world say what Ahmadinejad is saying in Iran. They are not scared.

So why are Israeli and Palestinian representatives negotiating now? They are holding talks on maintaining political quiet; preserving economic growth; maintaining the status quo. The prime minister and government ministers do not really care about what a Hamas state that would be situated in the heart of the country would mean to us, but rather, they care about what the world would say, about making sure that the US will get what it wants, and about Europe saluting our brave prime minister.

Yet after the words of praise will subside, after our envoys will fall asleep in their safe and warm homes, more civilians will come into the line of fire – that imaginary line that distinguishes those who sleep well at night from those who cannot sleep because they are concerned about the child going to kindergarten, the wife going to the store, or the elderly neighbors who cannot run for shelter when the “Color Red” rocket alert siren goes off.

Israel faces real problem

Similarly to the way a wedding ceremony includes a ketubah in case of future divorce, in the hopes that there will be no need for it, we have an army in a democratic state: It exists more for purposes of deterrence and less in order to act. Yet this is not the case when the Palestinians make a “surprising” request to have their own regular army. Here, there is no doubt that they wish to build more power vis-à-vis Israel.

The naïve Rabin and Peres established the Palestinian “police force” and handed over weapons despite the many protests. Rabin declared at the time that the moment they fire at us we will confiscate their weapons. Was that indeed the case? With these weapons, they murdered and wounded many Israelis, yet Israel continued to supply weapons, ammunition, and armored vehicles. Palestinian forces are training just like an army and were even trained by the IDF and CIA. Those familiar with their capabilities know that they have training camps both here and in neighboring countries.

According to the “vision” promoted by Bush, Sharon, Olmert, and Livni, in the first phase we will see the establishment of an independent Palestinian state, to be followed by international recognition and UN membership. And when an independent state wishes to establish a regular army, can anyone prevent it from doing so? When an independent state equips itself with civilian and military aircraft, is that reason for Israel to attack it? After all, even when the Palestinians fire at us in Sderot or Jerusalem we do nothing. Why should the situation change in the future?

Israel, which is currently lacking leadership, faces a real problem in its war on terror. From a state that sends its airplanes halfway across the world to free its hostages, it has turned into a country that surrenders to any radical group and is expected to free dozens, hundreds, and even thousands of terrorists. From a state that realizes that without the hills of Judea and Samaria it will enjoy no security, it has changed to the point of showing willingness to hand over even Jerusalem neighborhoods to the enemy.

This is not the way to hold negotiations even when buying a house. This is not the way to make a deal – rather, Israel is slowly but surely presenting its neck for slaughter.

Israeli citizens have lost their trust in their leaders a long time ago. They are certain that all politicians only care about their personal benefit. This time too, negotiators on behalf of the State of Israel know that nobody supervises them. Tragically, the other side knows it too.