[rmlew]

I think Buchanan makes some telling points here. Some of you are unjustly calling him antisemitic.
Actually, Buchanan has a history of defending Nazis, Holocaust revisionism, and use of conspiracy theories about Jewish and neocon influence.
Whatever true point he makes is already besmirched by its author.

amas is no longer a fringe group. It is now in the drivers seat. It has political power.I think we should give them some time and see if they show any sign of changing their ways. Hamas should be required to recognize and pledge to the world to respect the territorial integrity of Israel.
Hamas has already made it clear that it will not do so. Have you not been paying attention to statements by Hamas members?

In return Israel should withdraw from all settlements on the West Bank.
What is a settlement? Does this include Jerusalem? Does it include land owned by Jews prior to the Arab invasions of 1948?

The settlements have been the chief stumbling block that prevents any kind of agreement.Israel has not ever offered to withdraw these settlements.They were illegal in the first place.
There is nothing illegal about building communities on disputed land.
Israel offered to withdraw from most of the land multiple times under Rabin, Peres, and Barak. The PLO responded with terror and Hamas never stopped.

The Palestinians are entitled to a country of their own.
Jordan is an Arab state on 3/4 of Palestine.

Take note the right wing in Israel is perfectly happy with Hamas. It gives them an excuse not to negotiate.
Quite teh opposite. The Hamas victory is exactly what Israeli conservatives warned of.

[Courdeleon02]

Your reply is predictable.All of what you said I am aware of. My point is that Hamas should be given a chance to act politically instead of as a terrorist organization. The IRA was once a terrorist group, now Sinn
Fein is a political movement. Israeli PM Begin was also a former terrorist having killed British soldiers in bombings prior to the establishment of the State of Israel.We will know shortly if there is any hint of a desire to negotiate a fair settlement for all parties concerned. As to Jewish land purchased on the west bank would you also consider Arab land that was confiscated by Israel. This is an issue that too complex and is best settled by clearly drawn boundaries. Once peace is declared both nations can move closer to each other in a spirit of cooperation.