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Note: The following post is a quote:

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/2158344/posts

Quest of Hamas
Washington Times ^ | Sunday, January 4, 2009 | Clifford D. May
Posted on January 3, 2009 7:01:50 PM PST by Delacon

A thought experiment — Imagine that Hamas announces it will immediately cease and desist from firing missiles into Israel, that there will be no more such attacks in the future, and that it will release Gilad Shalit, the Israel soldier kidnapped two-and-a-half years ago and held incommunicado ever since - with not even the Red Cross allowed to see him. What would happen then?

Moderate Israelis would pressure their government to make a reciprocal gesture — to stop the air attacks on Hamas’ command and control centers, release Palestinian terrorists from Israeli jails and get serious peace talks under way.

But anyone who knows anything about Hamas also knows such a scenario is implausible. Hamas was created to fight and win holy wars - not to seek peace and sing “Kumbaya” with infidels. Hamas wants a Palestinian state in place of Israel - not next door to Israel. And for Hamas, preventing Palestinian carnage is not a priority. That’s not a slander; it’s a fact. As Hamas parliamentarian Fathi Hamad eloquently phrased it: “We desire death as you desire life.”

In 2005, Israelis undertook a real-life experiment: They said: “The Palestinians have a grievance: our occupation of Gaza and the West Bank - even though we administer those territories as the consequence of a war launched to annihilate us. But if our presence provokes violence, let’s see what results from our absence.” That summer, Israel pulled every soldier and settler out of Gaza. Every house of worship and cemetery was removed. But greenhouses were left behind.

Palestinians might have responded by using those greenhouses to grow flowers for export. They might have built factories, schools, hospitals and hotels along their Mediterranean beaches.

(Excerpt) Read more at washingtontimes.com ...