Hamas officials talk to Israeli media
Taking their message to a state they don’t recognize, the Hamas prime minister gave an interview to an Israeli newspaper and his top aide spoke in Hebrew on the radio Tuesday.Palestinian Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh and Cabinet Secretary Ghazi Hamad said Hamas would consider a truce with Israel, though both fell far short of recognizing the Jewish state, accepting previous peace accords and renouncing violence.
Danny Rubinstein of the newspaper Haaretz said Haniyeh received him without an appointment, a rare gesture. Rubinstein told Israel Radio that he believes Hamas is reaching out to Israelis.
“If they are willing to deal with us on the practical, daily level, then this will bring them, actually, to come to terms (with Israel),” Rubinstein said. “It may be shocking, but my impression was that the enemy (Haniyeh) was pleasant-mannered and smiled a lot.”
This seems like a very positive sign. I don’t think that Israel should accept immediately, but it is a very good place for the start of some serious negotiations.
I wondered after Hamas won the elections there if the pressure of governing would force them to moderate some of their positions. It appears that that is the case, and there is a glimmer of hope that peace may be achievable.
