IS HAMAS' 10 YEAR TRUCE OFFER ANOTHER ROTTEN CARROT?

 

An article from Rami G. Khouri in the Daily Star (Lebanon) would like us all to keep an open mind when considering a 10 year truce offered by Hamas recently. 

A series of related moves is critical now: correctly reading the meaning of Hamas' truce offer; third-party mediation working quietly but quickly behind the scenes to achieve a truce of at least two years; activating immediately a significant economic development plan that prods both public opinion majorities to choose negotiations over militarism; promoting other confidence-building measures (prisoner exchanges, easier movement of people and goods, wider Arab-Israeli links) to expand the truce benefits to touch all sectors of society; and, using the Arab peace plan as an opening to move swiftly into final-status negotiations that can transform a short-term truce into a permanent peace agreement.

An end to mutual attacks, improved daily living conditions, and new hope for future generations would quickly push public opinion in Israel and Palestine to demand more, logically leading to a permanent peace agreement. Impossible? Not at all. Just go to Northern Ireland and see how peace and power-sharing were achieved, starting with a truce offer that was also widely dismissed at the time. Good things happen when people bury their hysteria pills along with their sectarian guns.

Well, considering who we are dealing with, these guys don't have the best track record when it comes to keeping their word, especially, when it comes to Israel.  I personally see no reason to believe anything that oozes from their mouths, but Khouri does put forward some very reasonable thoughts regarding Hamas' most recent offer of peace.  And if the offer is sincere it would be a very welcome truce indeed.

Too bad we are not dealing with reasonable people in Hamas.