Obama to talk to Hamas
Photo: AP
Obama 'prepared to talk to Hamas'
The Guardian reports US president-elect's advisors urging him to initiate low-level or clandestine talks, as there is growing recognition in Washington that policy of ostracizing Hamas is counter-productive
The new American administration, headed by Barack Obama, is prepared to abandon President George W. Bush's doctrine of isolating Hamas
by establishing a channel to the Islamist organization, The Guardian
newspaper reported Friday, quoting sources close to the US president-elect's transition team.
The British newspaper's report relies on three people with knowledge of the discussions in the Obama camp. According to The Guardian, there is no talk of Obama approving direct diplomatic negotiations with Hamas early on, but he is being urged by advisors to initiate low-level or clandestine approaches, as there is growing recognition in Washington that the policy of ostracizing Hamas is counter-productive.
Should the new administration open contacts with Hamas, this would represent a definitive break with the Bush presidency's ostracizing of the group, the report said.
President-Elect
Yitzhak Benhorin
US President-elect's senior aide David Axelrod says Obama refuses to comment on IDF's operation in Gaza, but adds future president plans to work closely with Jewish state to promote peace
One tested course, according to the report, would be to start contacts through Hamas and the US intelligence services, similar to the secret process through which the US engaged with the PLO in the 1970s. Israel did not become aware of the contacts until much later.
Last month, Obama's team received a comprehensive report and recommendations for the American administration's policy, also in terms of Hamas.
The report's authors recommended giving up the demands that Hamas recognizes Israel, renounced the armed struggle and accepts the agreements signed with the Jewish state. They also expressed their support for holding elections in the Palestinian Authority, although their results cannot be foreseen in advance.
As for the Israeli-Palestinian peace process, the report stated that failing to solve the conflict would damage the United State's status in the Middle East and strengthen Iran.
Obama was advised to encourage a ceasefire between Israel and the Palestinians and support a Palestinian unity government, as there was no possibility to advance a diplomatic initiative for peace as long as the Palestinians are split.
