The U.S. may be heading toward talks with Hamas

[Violet_Crumble]

How would Israel respond if a "senior American official" were to declare that the United States was prepared to speak with Hamas leadership?

Don't be alarmed just yet. The United States still maintains its policy of not speaking with Hamas, yet last week America did lift its ban on speaking with the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt. From this point on, there's no need for meetings in a dark alley. Official American representatives can talk with any member of the Brotherhood. Washington has not acted prematurely. The Egyptian army and the temporary Egyptian government, along with the majority of presidential candidates in Egypt, view the Brotherhood as an integral part of society and politics in Egypt. The announcement by one of its leaders, Abdel Moneim Abu al-Fotouh, that he intends to run for president, was not seen as an unusual step in Egypt.

"There will not be free, just elections in Egypt unless we agree to speak with persons who are part of the democracy," said Edward "Ned" Walker, who served as U.S. Ambassador to Egypt and Israel. While Israel hides its smirks over pictures of the broken propeller on one of the flotilla ships, and while it threatens to wage war against a few hundred citizens of the world who want to challenge its "sovereignty" in Gaza, Washington has decided suddenly to pursue realistic diplomacy.

The decision should come as no surprise. An American administration that engages in a dialogue with the Taliban in Afghanistan, which had a political discussion with terror organizations in Iraq, and which cooperates with a Lebanese government that includes Hezbollah members, does not need to make excuses when it holds meetings with an Islamist movement that takes part in Egyptian politics, even if its ideology is radical.

http://www.haaretz.com/print-edition/opinion/the-u-s-may-be-heading-toward-talks-with-hamas-1.370965

[Ken Burch]

1. It's not as if there's ever been an alternative.

Hamas clearly isn't going away. It's no more out there for the U.S. or Israel to talk to Hamas than it was for the British government to finally do the sensible thing and talk to Sinn Fein, an organization that was considered just as vile by Ulster Unionists and even some Catholic Nationalists as Hamas is by Israelis and supporters of Israel.

[Violet_Crumble]

2. I've always thought there's no harm in talking...

What's the worst that can come from it? Some RW types will play the Guilt By Association card...

13. Guilt by Association. This is a favorite of Glenn Beck and Andrew Breitbart, both of whom have used it to decimate the careers and lives of many good people. Here's how it works: if your cousin's college roommate's uncle's ex-wife attended a dinner party back in 1984 with Gorbachev's niece's ex-boyfriend's sister, then you, by extension are a communist set on destroying America. Period.

http://www.alternet.org/news/151497/14_propaganda_techniques_fox_%22news%22_uses_to_brainwash_americans?page=entire

The last two sentences of the OP were the best, at least for those of us who are a suffering a bit of Flotilla Fatigue right now: 'The Gaza flotilla is soon likely to appear a pleasure cruise compared to the American diplomatic flotilla, which has disembarked in Egypt. But why fret about this right now, when we can ponder the Gaza flotilla carnival?'

[PCIntern]

3. Yeah, and Israel's not going away either, much to the disdain

of Hamas and others.

[Ken Burch]

4. Well, yes, that too.

Therefore, negotiation is the only choice at this stage.

[TomClash]

5. Exactly

They all have to live together one way or another. Nobody is leaving, much to the chagrin of Netanyahu and others.