Seven Truths About Israel, Hamas and Violence

 Successive Israeli governments have undermined the Palestinian Authority government on the West Bank by expanding the Jewish settler presence. The settlement project aids Hamas, which can point to it as proof that Israel is uninterested in the two-state solution endorsed by Hamas’s more-moderate rivals. If Israel were to reverse settlement growth, this could serve to buttress Palestinian moderates, who are in a position to negotiate with Israel. If the West Bank were to gain real freedom, the Palestinians of Gaza might turn away from Hamas. All of this is unlikely -- pessimism needs to be our guide in the Middle East - - but this plan represents the only alternative to continued military strikes on Gaza by Israel.

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Seven Truths About Israel, Hamas and Violence - Bloomberg: