Israelis Want to Talk to Hamas | Newsweek World

‘We’ll Have to Talk’

Newsweek Web Exclusive

Email To A Friend

Please fill in the following information and we'll email this link.

SPONSORED BY

Israel has long held quiet, behind-the-scenes talks with key Hamas figures. The Jewish state still provides the vast majority of the West Bank's electricity; after Hamas began winning local elections three years ago, Israeli officials sometimes had no choice but to talk with Islamic municipal officials over practical issues like utilities. Mohammad Ghayyada, the Hamas-affiliated mayor of the West Bank town of Nahalin, says that just last month he traveled to Israel to meet with electric-company officials after a blackout darkened his town. Israeli intelligence agencies have also long held talks with Hamas leaders in Israeli jails; since the Islamists seized power in Gaza last year, Israel has arrested more than 2,000 Hamas activists in the West Bank, according to the organization's spokesman, Yazid Khader. Last summer, Ofer Dekel, a former officer in the Shin Bet intelligence agency responsible for the hunt for captured Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit, traveled to Israel's Haderim prison to meet with a group of jailed senior Hamas officials.

Still, Shalit's case highlights the difficulties of any such talks. After indirect negotiations through Egyptian intelligence chief Omar Suleiman went nowhere, Shalit's father, Noam, spoke several times by phone about the case with Gaza-based Hamas leader Ghazi Hamad. Those conversations have since stopped, but several months ago the senior Shalit retained a team of French lawyers to reach out to Hamas. One of them, Emmanuel Altit, told NEWSWEEK that he has made contact by phone with a number of Hamas factions in Gaza, including the hard-liners, and is trying to travel to Gaza to hold face-to-face talks. (The Israeli government, so far, has refused to issue Altit a permit.) "I really don't care much about the politics," says Noam Shalit. "My only interest is to resolve the issue of my son and bring him home. From my point of view, direct negotiations are the most effective. The two parties need to sit together. Hamas controls Gaza whether we like it or not."

With Joanna Chen in Jerusalem

« Prev Page

krock: There is no such thing as "moderate Islam".... As Turkish Prime Minister Erdogan said the other day, and I quote, "There is no moderate or immoderate Islam. Islam is Islam and that's it".... Islam is in pursuit of dominance. It wishes to exact its imperialist agenda by force on a worldwide scale (8:39).

Koran in Sura 2, verse 85, that those believers who do not believe in everything the Koran states will be humiliated and receive the severest punishment; which means that they will roast in Hell. In other words, people who call themselves Muslims but who do not believe, for example, in Sura 9, verse 30, which states that Jews and Christians must be fought, or, for example, in Sura 5, verse 38, which states that the hand of a thief must be cut off, such people will be humiliated and roast in Hell.

The Trojan Horse.

No, the USA should not take actions that result in the implementation of a Sharia terrorist government; in Kosovo, the West Bank, Gaza, Iraq, Iran, Pakistan, Lebanon, et al. A representative government is fine provided the people of the area want one; not fine at the point of a gun. Kosovo is a Sharia terrorist government today: bad policy. The Hamas independent government in Gaza is a Sharia terrorist government; likewise West Bank; likewise Lebanon if Hizbully gets it, Likewise Iran since Jimmy brought the Ayatollah, watch out or you get one in Pakistan; et al

It is never the moral high ground to assist in imposing a Sharia terrorist government on people that always includes: honor killing, hanging gays, women as chattel: virtual slaves, legal to murder & rape & pillage non -Muslims; that is the moral low ground. Yes, these throwbacks to the seventh century should be confronted or you get a burqa, will bow to Mecca or be killed.

Arabs and Persian Sharia people are at war with The West because Arabs and Persian Sharia people believe Islam can not survive against a free market, free speech, republic with women???s rights & no honor killing: murdering women is legal in Sharia.

Arab, if only Israel; is only an excuse, propaganda, for Islamic terror; as we see that wherever the Mohammedans bump against another culture the Mohammedans say the same thing they say about Israel. In India: same thing, in Kosovo: same thing, In Israel: same thin, In Darfur: same thing. In Thailand: same thing, the Philippines: same thing. Wherever the Moslems are contiguous with another people/culture: Hindu, Buddhist, Christian, Jew, African tribal villages, secular, religious; The Moslems say the same thing they say about Israel: If only???Sharia???and no freedom of speech to criticize Islam.

If Israel, G-d forbid, goes: America will be on the Mohammedans front line of attack: your wife and daughter in burqas or dead. Hitchcock would love the irony: all those Jew haters in burqas if anything happens to Israel.

Intelligence analyst: Getzel

to A. muslim Al Qaeda:

krock: There is no such thing as "moderate Islam".... As Turkish Prime Minister Erdogan said the other day, and I quote, "There is no moderate or immoderate Islam. Islam is Islam and that's it".... Islam is in pursuit of dominance. It wishes to exact its imperialist agenda by force on a worldwide scale (8:39).

Koran in Sura 2, verse 85, that those believers who do not believe in everything the Koran states will be humiliated and receive the severest punishment; which means that they will roast in Hell. In other words, people who call themselves Muslims but who do not believe, for example, in Sura 9, verse 30, which states that Jews and Christians must be fought, or, for example, in Sura 5, verse 38, which states that the hand of a thief must be cut off, such people will be humiliated and roast in Hell.

The Trojan Horse.

No, the USA should not take actions that result in the implementation of a Sharia terrorist government; in Kosovo, the West Bank, Gaza, Iraq, Iran, Pakistan, Lebanon, et al. A representative government is fine provided the people of the area want one; not fine at the point of a gun. Kosovo is a Sharia terrorist government today: bad policy. The Hamas independent government in Gaza is a Sharia terrorist government; likewise West Bank; likewise Lebanon if Hizbully gets it, Likewise Iran since Jimmy brought the Ayatollah, watch out or you get one in Pakistan; et al

It is never the moral high ground to assist in imposing a Sharia terrorist government on people that always includes: honor killing, hanging gays, women as chattel: virtual slaves, legal to murder & rape & pillage non -Muslims; that is the moral low ground. Yes, these throwbacks to the seventh century should be confronted or you get a burqa, will bow to Mecca or be killed.

Arabs and Persian Sharia people are at war with The West because Arabs and Persian Sharia people believe Islam can not survive against a free market, free speech, republic with women???s rights & no honor killing: murdering women is legal in Sharia.

Arab, if only Israel; is only an excuse, propaganda, for Islamic terror; as we see that wherever the Mohammedans bump against another culture the Mohammedans say the same thing they say about Israel. In India: same thing, in Kosovo: same thing, In Israel: same thin, In Darfur: same thing. In Thailand: same thing, the Philippines: same thing. Wherever the Moslems are contiguous with another people/culture: Hindu, Buddhist, Christian, Jew, African tribal villages, secular, religious; The Moslems say the same thing they say about Israel: If only???Sharia???and no freedom of speech to criticize Islam.

If Israel, G-d forbid, goes: America will be on the Mohammedans front line of attack: your wife and daughter in burqas or dead. Hitchcock would love the irony: all those Jew haters in burqas if anything happens to Israel.

Intelligence analyst: Getzel

Member Comments

- Reply
- Report Abuse
Posted By: tina1111 @ 03/12/2008 9:33:51 AM

disagree
- Reply
- Report Abuse
Posted By: getzel @ 03/11/2008 8:19:24 PM

krock: There is no such thing as "moderate Islam".... As Turkish Prime Minister Erdogan said the other day, and I quote, "There is no moderate or immoderate Islam. Islam is Islam and that's it".... Islam is in pursuit of dominance. It wishes to exact its imperialist agenda by force on a worldwide scale (8:39).

Koran in Sura 2, verse 85, that those believers who do not believe in everything the Koran states will be humiliated and receive the severest punishment; which means that they will roast in Hell. In other words, people who call themselves Muslims but who do not believe, for example, in Sura 9, verse 30, which states that Jews and Christians must be fought, or, for example, in Sura 5, verse 38, which states that the hand of a thief must be cut off, such people will be humiliated and roast in Hell.

The Trojan Horse.

No, the USA should not take actions that result in the implementation of a Sharia terrorist government; in Kosovo, the West Bank, Gaza, Iraq, Iran, Pakistan, Lebanon, et al. A representative government is fine provided the people of the area want one; not fine at the point of a gun. Kosovo is a Sharia terrorist government today: bad policy. The Hamas independent government in Gaza is a Sharia terrorist government; likewise West Bank; likewise Lebanon if Hizbully gets it, Likewise Iran since Jimmy brought the Ayatollah, watch out or you get one in Pakistan; et al

It is never the moral high ground to assist in imposing a Sharia terrorist government on people that always includes: honor killing, hanging gays, women as chattel: virtual slaves, legal to murder & rape & pillage non -Muslims; that is the moral low ground. Yes, these throwbacks to the seventh century should be confronted or you get a burqa, will bow to Mecca or be killed.

Arabs and Persian Sharia people are at war with The West because Arabs and Persian Sharia people believe Islam can not survive against a free market, free speech, republic with women???s rights & no honor killing: murdering women is legal in Sharia.

Arab, if only Israel; is only an excuse, propaganda, for Islamic terror; as we see that wherever the Mohammedans bump against another culture the Mohammedans say the same thing they say about Israel. In India: same thing, in Kosovo: same thing, In Israel: same thin, In Darfur: same thing. In Thailand: same thing, the Philippines: same thing. Wherever the Moslems are contiguous with another people/culture: Hindu, Buddhist, Christian, Jew, African tribal villages, secular, religious; The Moslems say the same thing they say about Israel: If only???Sharia???and no freedom of speech to criticize Islam.

If Israel, G-d forbid, goes: America will be on the Mohammedans front line of attack: your wife and daughter in burqas or dead. Hitchcock would love the irony: all those Jew haters in burqas if anything happens to Israel.

Intelligence analyst: Getzel
- Reply
- Report Abuse
Posted By: getzel @ 03/11/2008 8:18:32 PM

to A. muslim Al Qaeda:

krock: There is no such thing as "moderate Islam".... As Turkish Prime Minister Erdogan said the other day, and I quote, "There is no moderate or immoderate Islam. Islam is Islam and that's it".... Islam is in pursuit of dominance. It wishes to exact its imperialist agenda by force on a worldwide scale (8:39).

Koran in Sura 2, verse 85, that those believers who do not believe in everything the Koran states will be humiliated and receive the severest punishment; which means that they will roast in Hell. In other words, people who call themselves Muslims but who do not believe, for example, in Sura 9, verse 30, which states that Jews and Christians must be fought, or, for example, in Sura 5, verse 38, which states that the hand of a thief must be cut off, such people will be humiliated and roast in Hell.

The Trojan Horse.

No, the USA should not take actions that result in the implementation of a Sharia terrorist government; in Kosovo, the West Bank, Gaza, Iraq, Iran, Pakistan, Lebanon, et al. A representative government is fine provided the people of the area want one; not fine at the point of a gun. Kosovo is a Sharia terrorist government today: bad policy. The Hamas independent government in Gaza is a Sharia terrorist government; likewise West Bank; likewise Lebanon if Hizbully gets it, Likewise Iran since Jimmy brought the Ayatollah, watch out or you get one in Pakistan; et al

It is never the moral high ground to assist in imposing a Sharia terrorist government on people that always includes: honor killing, hanging gays, women as chattel: virtual slaves, legal to murder & rape & pillage non -Muslims; that is the moral low ground. Yes, these throwbacks to the seventh century should be confronted or you get a burqa, will bow to Mecca or be killed.

Arabs and Persian Sharia people are at war with The West because Arabs and Persian Sharia people believe Islam can not survive against a free market, free speech, republic with women???s rights & no honor killing: murdering women is legal in Sharia.

Arab, if only Israel; is only an excuse, propaganda, for Islamic terror; as we see that wherever the Mohammedans bump against another culture the Mohammedans say the same thing they say about Israel. In India: same thing, in Kosovo: same thing, In Israel: same thin, In Darfur: same thing. In Thailand: same thing, the Philippines: same thing. Wherever the Moslems are contiguous with another people/culture: Hindu, Buddhist, Christian, Jew, African tribal villages, secular, religious; The Moslems say the same thing they say about Israel: If only???Sharia???and no freedom of speech to criticize Islam.

If Israel, G-d forbid, goes: America will be on the Mohammedans front line of attack: your wife and daughter in burqas or dead. Hitchcock would love the irony: all those Jew haters in burqas if anything happens to Israel.

Intelligence analyst: Getzel