Mideast Players Differ On Approach to Hamas

By Glenn Kessler
Washington Post Staff Writer
Sunday, March 16, 2008

"During a trip to the Middle East this month, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice served as an informal go-between for Hamas and its sworn enemy, the government of Israel, helping to arrange a tentative truce, according to U.S., Israeli and Arab officials......

Throughout her trip, Rice never publicly uttered the term "cease-fire." But at the request of Egypt, Rice privately asked Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert to issue a public statement that Israel would halt attacks if Hamas stopped firing crude rockets at Israeli towns and cities. One day later, Egyptian officials could point to the statement in talks with Hamas, and the daily barrage suddenly stopped.

Rice's actions underscore the nuanced series of signals that are typical of Middle East diplomacy, but they also highlight the central role today of Hamas, formally called the Islamic Resistance Movement, in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Now some experts -- and even Israelis -- are questioning whether the isolation of Hamas continues to make sense.......

Even the State Department acknowledged that the question is in the air when the department's official blog this month posed its question of the week: "Should the U.S. engage Hamas in the peace process between Israel and the Palestinians?" The question generated many long and emotional answers -- and State's spokesman was compelled to deny that the posting indicated that a change in policy was under consideration.

In Israel, a former head of the Mossad spy agency, Efraim Halevy, has argued for talks, saying it is impossible to defeat Hamas politically. His position was once a lonely one in Israel, but a poll last month in Haaretz, an Israeli newspaper, found that 64 percent of Israelis favor direct talks with Hamas......

Assistant Secretary of State C. David Welch, Rice's point man on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, acknowledged to Congress last week that Hamas's control of Gaza had greatly complicated the choices for the United States, "presenting us with very difficult policy issues and choices and presenting Israel with a set of bad alternatives as well."......

However, none of the players -- including Israel's Arab neighbors -- wants a solution that appears to grant Hamas any sort of victory, diplomats said. "No one can ignore Hamas. They are a reality," said an Arab diplomat, speaking on the condition of anonymity because of the diplomatic sensitivities. "It's all about how much of a dividend to give them."

Arab and U.S. officials said that Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas has objected to a deal on Shalit because he fears Hamas would gain credit for the release of Palestinian prisoners. "Any agreement to be achieved has to be complemented with a success" for Abbas, the Arab diplomat said.......

Malley said that the administration's effort to empower Abbas is doomed to failure if he does not reach some sort of accommodation with Hamas. "A dangerous Hamas is a Hamas that has nothing to lose," he said."