Comments on: Hamas Moderating Its Charter? http://www.richardsilverstein.com/tikun_olam/2006/02/22/hamas-moderating-its-charter/ Essays on politics, culture and ideas about Israeli-Arab peace and world music Thu, 04 Dec 2008 16:28:24 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.2 By: semitism.net » The Hamas Charter and the Real Obstacles to Peace http://www.richardsilverstein.com/tikun_olam/2006/02/22/hamas-moderating-its-charter/#comment-2343 semitism.net » The Hamas Charter and the Real Obstacles to Peace Thu, 23 Feb 2006 23:06:19 +0000 http://www.richardsilverstein.com/tikun_olam/2006/02/22/hamas-moderating-its-charter/#comment-2343 [...] So, over at Tikun Olam, Richard, who has the stomach to read the Jerusalem Post on a regular basis, reports that Hamas is actually ammending its founding covenant. Hamas has been subject to heavy criticism over the charter, written in 1998. It’s considered (mostly by people who haven’t read it) to be a crude anti-Semitic screed that forcloses any possiblity of peace with the Zionist enemy. Certainly the charter as it now stands is a major obstacle to international recognition of Hamas as a legitimate governing body. A group whose constitutional document calls for Israel’s destruction can hardly be trusted to participate in peace negotiations, the reasoning goes… [...] [...] So, over at Tikun Olam, Richard, who has the stomach to read the Jerusalem Post on a regular basis, reports that Hamas is actually ammending its founding covenant. Hamas has been subject to heavy criticism over the charter, written in 1998. It’s considered (mostly by people who haven’t read it) to be a crude anti-Semitic screed that forcloses any possiblity of peace with the Zionist enemy. Certainly the charter as it now stands is a major obstacle to international recognition of Hamas as a legitimate governing body. A group whose constitutional document calls for Israel’s destruction can hardly be trusted to participate in peace negotiations, the reasoning goes… [...]

]]> By: Andrew Schamess http://www.richardsilverstein.com/tikun_olam/2006/02/22/hamas-moderating-its-charter/#comment-2327 Andrew Schamess Wed, 22 Feb 2006 14:32:33 +0000 http://www.richardsilverstein.com/tikun_olam/2006/02/22/hamas-moderating-its-charter/#comment-2327 What a good find! I'd given up reading the Jerusalem Post but here you've found an actual news story there. Too bad the U.S. media misses the subtleties - all we hear is "...Hamas, a terrorist group pledged to Israel's destruction..." It's really fascinating to watch what's going on in the Palestinian government right now. I agree with you completely... it's too early to forget Hamas' bloody history - but the group has certainly been efficient in adapting its positiions. Whatever their underlying intent may be, they definitely understand politics. Interesting to recall that the PLO was dismissed as an irredemably violent organization until Oslo, and now its main party is considered moderate even by the Israelis. What a good find! I’d given up reading the Jerusalem Post but here you’ve found an actual news story there. Too bad the U.S. media misses the subtleties - all we hear is “…Hamas, a terrorist group pledged to Israel’s destruction…”

It’s really fascinating to watch what’s going on in the Palestinian government right now. I agree with you completely… it’s too early to forget Hamas’ bloody history - but the group has certainly been efficient in adapting its positiions. Whatever their underlying intent may be, they definitely understand politics.

Interesting to recall that the PLO was dismissed as an irredemably violent organization until Oslo, and now its main party is considered moderate even by the Israelis.

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