Obama Publicly Endorses Netanyahu-Lieberman Right Wing Coalition!

No of course not, silly. That would not be the way to peace. This is the way to peace:

The Obama administration has given the Palestinian Authority a "green light" to talk to Hamas about forming a Palestinian unity government, a PA official in Ramallah said over the weekend.

The official said that Washington had also given Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak the go-ahead to resume his efforts to achieve reconciliation between Hamas and Fatah.

"The new administration has a different policy than that of [former US president] George W. Bush," the official told The Jerusalem Post. "The administration of President Barack Obama believes that a Hamas-Fatah government is good for stability." [emphasis added]

In an ironic twist, the US is apparently hoping that past performance is not a guarantee of future results, because stability has not exactly been the hallmark of either terrorist group--separately or together.

Other absurdities in this story:

Hamas spokesman Mushir al-Masri said that for the talks to succeed, the PA must first release all "political prisoners" from its West Bank jails.

Yeah, this from the same terrorists holding Gilad Shalit. Maybe Abbas will demand the release of all of the bodies of the members of Fatah murdered by Hamas--you know, in the interests of stability.

Another Fatah official, Ibrahim Abu al-Naja, said the fact that Likud chairman Binyamin Netanyahu has been tasked with forming the next government "proves that Israeli public opinion favors war and destruction."

Right--and the willingness of Abbas, who has refused to recognize Israel as a Jewish state--his teaming up with the terrorist group bombing Israel proves what, exactly?

Meanwhile, Hamas leaders said over the weekend that Democratic Sen. John Kerry's visit to the Gaza Strip last Thursday signaled a change in US policy toward their movement.

"The visit is a move in the right direction," Hamas spokesman Fawzi Barhoum said. "We consider the visit as an indirect step aimed at ending the boycott of Hamas by the Americans and the international community."

And why shouldn't they? By supporting Hamas in this way, the US government has completely undermined any benefit that may have come out of Operation Cast Lead to lead to a phasing out of Hamas.

Welcoming the apparent shift in US policy, the Hamas spokesman expressed hope that the Obama administration would "repair" the damage and injustice done to Hamas after it won the January 2006 election, when the Bush administration decided to boycott and impose sanctions on it.

I guess Hamas can think of this as their second coup.

You really have to hand it to Obama--he said he would not negotiate with Hamas: and he doesn't have to. All he needs do is get Hamas and Fatah back together again and claim that a new entity has been created: apparently terrorists, like tainted money, can be laundered.

The question is, what will come of these machinations of the US. Powerline has a post with commentary from Dan Diker of the Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs:

Senator John Kerry's visit late last week to Gaza and Syria was well received in Tehran. Their response was clear. Israel was hit with rockets from southern Lebanon and Gaza this weekend. Hizbullah denied involvement, but attacks from southern Lebanon do not take place without Hizbullah agreement and a green light from Iran's Supreme leadership. Hizbullah Deputy Secretary Sheik Naim Kassam made the point in an April 15 2007 interview with the Iranian Arabic language TV station al Qawthar.

Israeli Arab journalist Khaled Abu Toameh reminded us that American outreach is strengthening Hamas and further undermining PA Chairman Mahmoud Abbas on the Palestinian Street. Senior Fatah officials emphasized the point during my visit to Ramallah this past Friday. A Fatah official told me: "Fatah is not returning to Gaza, Hamas will massacre us."

American engagement of Hamas reflects a misunderstanding of Palestinian political culture. Palestinian unity is an illusion. Fatah and Hamas hate one another more than Palestinians reject Israel. They are playing a zero sum game for leadership of the Palestinian Authority. Hamas' Fatah torture sessions (videohere and here) make the point. But Washington's more conciliatory approach has forced Abbas (and Egypt) to honor Hamas and "beg" for national unity and a reconciliation government.

American pursuit of "real cooperation," as Kerry put it, with Syria's Bashar Assad -- Iran's key Arab ally, whom the United States believes is key to Hamas and Fatah unity -- is a victory for Iran and its proxies and undermines Washington's Arab allies in the region.

Perhaps the upside to Washington's engagement policy is that it will likely speed up the imminent collision between radical Islam and the West. The downside is that Israel, which the Arab and Muslim world see as Washington's democratic proxy in the Middle East, will be forced to pay a heavy price.

Imagine: this Hamas-Fatah coalition would only serve to weaken Abbas--just like the US support of the election that brought Hamas into power to begin with. Looks like Obama really is just following in Bush's footsteps. Also, keep in mind that this new Israel-Palestinian policy is brought to us by the same person who mocked the ability of the surge in Iraq to have an effect--and never acknowledged that he was wrong. 

Crossposted on Soccer Dad

Technorati Tag: Israel and Gaza and Hamas and Obama.