Ehud Olmert, the Deputy Prime Minister of Israel has a good op-ed in The Washington Post on why Israel must defeat Hamas for peace to be possible. Olmert points out that the assassination attempt on Rantisi was not an isolated act on the part of Israel, Hamas had already decided to derail the peace process. The Palestinians cannot deal with Hamas on their own, not for lack of resources, but because Hamas has been given carte blanche to operate in Palestinian territory for so long they’ve virtually taken control.
Olmert correctly notes that there can be no compromises or negotiation with terrorist groups. They are not agents of compromise or legitimate politics. They do not want a Palestinian state next to Israel, they demand the destruction of Israel. It is foolish to assume that the peace process can go on when groups like Hamas are incapable of acting in good faith as responsible partners for peace.
As Olmert states unequivocally states: "It’s either Hamas or us." Given our own battle against international terrorism, we have a vested interest in ensuring that Hamas does not gain the upper hand.
