Vision to Reality: The Reut Blog

Several former peace negotiators recently published a letter in the London Times arguing that the Quartet’s 3 Demands set an unworkable threshold for commencing negotiations, and calling for a rethink in the strategy for achieving peace in the Middle East (‘grounded in realism, not ideology’) which would move Hamas into the political process. Although the US Administration remains firm (for now) in its demand that Hamas renounce violence and recognize Israel as prerequisite for any true progress on regional peace talks, the Quartet’s 3 Demands seem to be eroding.

The letter follows a report in the Independent that European nations have opened a direct dialogue with Hamas, a policy paper by the International Crisis Group arguing for an end to Hamas’ isolation and a report in the Economist on how the idea of speaking to Hamas is no longer taboo.

In this context, Israel should consider the possibility that the international community’s united policy vis-à-vis Hamas could collapse.

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