Hamas extended an unexpected olive branch to the Israelis and the international community Wednesday. Palestinian Foreign Minister Mahmoud al-Zahhar, a leading Hamas member, sent a letter to UN Secretary General Kofi Annan, hinting that the party would be willing to accept a ‘two-state solution’ to the Palestinian-Israeli conflict. Although the letter stopped short of outright recognition of Israel, it said that Palestinians ‘look forward to living in peace and security ... side-by-side with all our neighbors.’ And while it failed to fully renounce violence, it did appeal to the international community to stop ‘resorting to the language of threats,’ and ‘to initiate serious and constructive dialogue’ to promote ‘peace and stability in our region.
The letter can be seen as nothing short of a breakthrough in an otherwise moribund peace process. An elected Palestinian official, and a prominent member of Hamas, is telling the UN that his people are ready to achieve peace and security. The distance travelled by Hamas is not very far, compared to the lengths that the international community would like them to go, but it is nonetheless significant.
Since their election victory, Hamas members have undergone a noticeable transition as they have assumed the role of legitimate representatives of the Palestinian people. Although Hamas won by a landslide, the group still has considerable opposition from Fatah and other political parties, both inside and outside the Parliament. But these parties are now nearly unanimous in their stated desire to achieve regional peace and stability.
It is hard to see how the objectives outlined by Zahhar in his letter differ from those of U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and acting Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert. Do they not want the Palestinians to live ‘side-by-side’ with their neighbors in a region of ‘peace and stability?’ Why would Olmert and Rice want to exert more economic and military pressure on Hamas, and in doing so, crush a vibrant Palestinian society, and with it any chance of peace?
Sadly, that is exactly what is happening on the ground. While Hamas is taking cautious steps in the right direction, Israel has not halted its escalation of the conflict. As Annan was receiving Zahhar's letter Tuesday, Israeli warplanes were launching airstrikes in Gaza, killing a civilian, and wounding nine others, including a six-month-old baby. Palestinians were being evicted from their homes in East Jerusalem and Olmert was pressing ahead with his plans to unilaterally fix Israel's borders. These activities will no doubt foment Palestinian anger, and lead to yet another phase of retaliatory attacks. Hamas has taken a first step away from this cycle of violence. All that is needed now is an Israeli partner who can follow in their timid footsteps toward peace.