Whether or not Hamas shall be the final negotiator for the future (or lack thereof) of Palestinian's seems to be the last question remaining. As it stands, Hamas leader Khaled Meshaal has answered quite definitively.
No.
Hamas will not recognize a Jewish nation. At least that is what Meshaal confessed to Charlie Rose in an interview where Meshaal attempted to side step the question before his definitive, one word answer of Rose. No! Hamas does not intend to recognize a Jewish nation, but that does not mean they will act as an occupier or in an aggressive manner if each nation decides to observe the autonomy of the other nation. The problem with the peaceful coexistence concept is that enemy nations can not share indistinguishable borders. Russia and Ukraine must resolve their differences just as Palestine and Israel must. The US and Mexico maintain an unspoken agreement masquerading as a border war, but even our two nations must maintain civility between us so that we might avoid building up walls and pointing bombs in the direction of each other.
The biblical demand for man to love thy neighbor as thyself is not a haphazard instruction. It doesn't take long for life to teach us that our family is more or less optional, whereas your neighbors are a vital aspect of your life. Bad neighborly relations could mean a difficult existence on a daily basis, while bad family relations only materialize during holiday parties. Regardless of the misconception of the famous, Hatfield and McCoy family feud, even their legendary dispute was exacerbated by the proximity of these two families.
When neighboring disputes escalate into hostile wars, it is beyond valuable for an intercessor to play a role. Law enforcement provide genuine incentive for peaceful behavior, but for several years now, we have asked and prayed for Israel and Palestine to police their own activities. The United States used to be an influence over this region because of our undying loyalty towards Israel. Today things are much different. Today we are the examples of what aggression in the middle east should look like. In the aftermath of two wars with marginal evidence of any lasting reason for these engagements, Iraq and Afghanistan have eroded our credibility to even speak on middle eastern aggression. Dismantling the power structure of an enemy combatant is the methodology for how we removed Saddam Hussein from power, and for how we sent Al Qaeda on the run, even though the secret CIA operation that killed Osama Bin Laden ultimately lead to the only measure of success that we take away from all of our post 9-11 retaliatory behaviors. So why lose so much credibility worldwide trying to rectify the vulnerability of the 9-11 attack? Because we were pissed, that's why.
I used to know firmly where I stood on this ongoing war of nations. From my perspective, Israel never appeared interested in establishing or respecting the sovereignty of Palestine and its people. Some will even tell you that such a place (Palestine) and its people do not exist as an established nation. None of them would be the multitude who call the land home, or the many more who fled this region of constant unrest for nations across the world. Palestinians are weary of the lack of acceptance of a people with a history and a collective purpose, but they also find Hamas significantly necessary to confront Israeli aggression. What the Palestinian people are missing is the catch 22 of Hamas and Israeli aggression.
Without Israeli aggression, Hamas loses an element of necessity and legitimacy. Whether their is a cease fire in the works or not, military leaders are defined by their willingness to lead the fight. As more Palestinian than Israeli casualties line the streets, it is my hunch that ignoring a cease fire could be a great way to embolden yourself before a nation of people desperate for fearless fighters to avenge the blood that remains on their streets. Either Hamas hasn't the ability to control its angered military leaders, or it has no desire to as several cease fire agreements have been breached by an Hamas rocket attack. Either perspective should draw the ire of anyone paying attention, especially since the question of "who launched the first attack" still remains a debate.
Much like the ignored cease fire requests in the Ukraine, the idea of setting down your arms while fighting back and protecting your homeland from a stronger enemy lends itself to losing the biggest element necessary in these types of skirmishes....support. The only necessary element for any war to go on is the support of those involved, and right now polling data supports the notion that neither Israel or Palestine seem eager to allow this conflict to resolve itself through diplomacy. War is war for a reason, and it typically requires an exacting blow to provide access to victory. Both sides are looking for a way to perform this essential strike to the enemy in order to maintain a lasting peace (says Israel), or autonomous respect (says Palestine).
I don't expect that anyone will ultimately like the conclusion that lies in store for these neighbors who refuse to get along, but eventually this war needs a conclusion. When your kids are young, the old axiom of 'do what I say, not what I do' can actually work for a while, but as they grow up they will either reject your words or mimic your behavior. Palestine has rejected our words while Israel has mimicked our behavior. As a result, someone with a more influential voice and less of a spotted past will have to take the lead on this matter. America is simply not qualified anymore.
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