The children of Palestinian prisoners

During the 1970s, for many Western government it was unimaginable to be seen as embracing the PLO. Abu Nidal’s group was notorious in Israeli-induced Western literature for being some super-terrorist group that could cause major havoc (in reality at the height of his power Nidal commanded at most 300 men, and his organization was infiltrated by the Iraqi, Israeli and American intelligence agencies. Nidal once receiving payments by the C.I.A. and was killed by Iraqi intelligence in a murder dressed up as suicide).

Eventually, it become hard to avoid the PLO if one really sought “peace in the Middle East.” In the 1990s, the long hated ‘Arafat was invited to the White House and was embraced by Rabin. The PLO was allowed to settle in the West Bank and Gaza and even maintain arms.

That same pragmatism is being established with Hamas. The Palestinian Islamist rivals to the secular Fatah-dominated PLO was derided in Western literature in the same language and tone that the PLO once was. But Westerns are learning - rather admitting - that no deal is possible without Hamas. And it will not be long until Hamas leader Khaled Meshal is invited to European capital.

But Western pragmatism with what is admittedly a partly-terrorist group will have to be met halfway with Hamas concessions. Hamas’ isolation stems not from its history of terrorist operations, but its refusal to recognize Israel’s alleged right to exist.

Hamas though may be coming around to that condition. Its Damascus-based leader recently stated that the organization is very near to recognizing Israel.

More importantly, steps have been taken to establish such a reciprocal recognition. Recently, Hamas has stated that it will cease rocket attacks against Israel. The rockets often miss and rarely kill or injure anyone, but have made life difficult for southern Israelis.

Israel cited the rocket attacks as the reason for its genocidal attack against the Palestinians in December 2008 - an attack that killed over 900 Palestinians of whom over 400 were children.

Israel claims Hamas is the aggressor by firing rockets even after Israel uprooted illegal settlers and withdrew its occupying military Gaza. But Hamas retorts that Israeli occupation took on a new mutation as Israel continued to control Gaza’s border, water and air space alongside with its water and power source; and, furthermore, has subjugated the Strip and its 1.5 million inhabitants to a cruel blockade that has made 80% of the population dependent on UN food aid and unemployment reach nearly 50%. And Israel continues to build illegal settlements on the occupied West Bank and ethnically cleanse Palestinians.

Whatever the merits and effectiveness, Israel will not deal - and thus America - with Hamas until the rockets stop. This recent move may be a confidence-building prelude to a new agreement with Israel.

Something to have more effect is the status of a captured Israeli solider. The name of this occupier shall not be mentioned lest I play into Israeli propaganda and humanizer a terrorist-solider while Palestinian civilians are dehumanized by Israel. NoName was captured 3-years ago by Hamas for the purpose of exchanging him for innocent Palestinians jailed (often illegally and inhumanely) in Israeli jails (over 10,000). Israel intended to free him by bombing the shit out of Gaza and killing hundreds of Palestinians. It failed and is finally negotiating over his release. Recently, dozens of Palestinian female prisoners along with children were released in exchange for a tape showing that NoName is alive.

And final exchange may be upcoming:

There were mounting hopes on Monday that Israel and Hamas were nearing a deal to exchange Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit, who was captured three years ago along the Gaza border, for hundreds of Palestinian prisoners. . . .

In recent months, officials familiar with the negotiations have said Hamas was demanding over 1,000 prisoners be released in exchange for Sgt. Shalit, including a list of 450 specific names.

If such a deal does happen, then Hamas will or may be closer to accepting Israel as a next step and international acceptance will follow.

It may allow for a moment during which both sides celebrate their respective releases to then negotiate in good faith to bring about a final peace.