[lbo-talk] US looks to arm Iran's neighbors, general says

[Yoshie Furuhashi]

On 5/19/06, Joel Schalit <managingeditor at tikkun.org> wrote:
> i'm not a fan of theocrats, and see no point backing them in anti-
> colonial struggles. as a progressive, i reject Hamas on ideological
> grounds - just as i would any religious party. but i respect what
> palestinian voters decided.
> at some point Hamas might choose to recognize Israel, just as Fatah
> once did. they really have not decided what to do yet.. it would be
> stupid for them not to, quite honestly - as stupid as the Israelis
> not recognizing Hamas.
> the Iranians certainly stand to lose if there is a Hamas/Israel
> conciliation. but the Hamas leadership is really quite sophisticated
> - they might find a way to balance relations with both parties. the
> jury is still out.

Hamas has already offered an indefinite truce if Israel withdraws to
its pre-1967 borders:
(Yitzhak Benhorin, "Hamas: Ceasefire for Return to 1967 Border," 30
Jan. 2006, <http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3207845,00.html>).

But Tel Aviv won't do that.  It would rather have Hamas collapse due
to lack of funds or at least provoke a conflict between Hamas and
Fatah.  It's Tel Aviv's maximalist rejectionism that has compelled
Hamas to rely on Tehran more than before.

Rather than prompting Tel Aviv to make peace with Hamas in an effort
to isolate Iran, Washington is pursuing a strategy of regime changes
in both Iran and Palestine.  That's the sort of situation that makes
liberals wonder if Tel Aviv is still really Washington's strategic
asset or has already become its strategic burden, for there can be a
blowback: destablization of the pro-Washington Arab regimes -- the
Gulf states, Jordan, Egypt -- that have volunteered to serve in the
dual regime change campaign.

-- 
Yoshie
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