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Signs of a new US approach to Middle East
10/02/2009 By Henry Siegman
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| Palestinian peace negotiator Saeb Erakat welcomes new US peace envoy for the Middle East, George Mitchell in Ramallah, West Bank, on January 29, 2009 (Leon Neal/AFP/Getty Images |
The refusal to negotiate with the Islamist group Hamas lies at the heart of the current paralysis in the peace process in the Middle East, the effects of which have recently been seen in Israel’s offensive against the Gaza strip. For a new US administration intent on jump-starting a fresh round of talks, the participation of Hamas – which came to power after winning elections in 2006, and has established a reputation for the efficient delivery of social service - must urgently be reconsidered.
Until now, the group’s refusal to recognise the state of Israel has been touted as the principal justification for not including the group on peace talks. However, Hamas has already shown a willingness to make concessions in this regard by indicating that it would form part of a national Palestinian government that negotiates a peace deal with Israel, even if as a political force it disagrees with such a process. In this respect, its role would not be dissimilar to that of Israeli hardliners such as the Yisrael Beitenu party, which has joined previous national governments despite its refusal to recognise any Palestinian rights.
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Keywords
Civil society Conflict Conflict resolution Gaza Strip and West Bank Israel Middle East Peace processRelated publications
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Bio author: Henry Siegman
Henry Siegman is president of the U.S./Middle East Project, a program of the Council on Foreign Relations (CFR) for the past 14 years and, as of September 2006, an independent policy institute. He is also a research professor at the Sir Joseph Hotung Middle East Program at the School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London. Mr. Siegman's areas of specialization include Arab-Israel relations, the Middle East peace process, U.S. Middle East policy, and interreligious relations.
