Israel Matzav

Obama's Middle East adviser says Hamas-Fatah unity 'not necessarily a bad thing'

President Obama's Middle East adviser, Philip Gordon, told the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations on Friday that a Hamas-Fatah unity government would 'not necessarily be a bad thing.'

In a closed briefing on Friday to members of the Conference of Presidents of Major Jewish Organizations, President Obama’s Middle East adviser Philip Gordon admitted that Washington was surprised by the agreement and disappointed by its “unhelpful” timing. Gordon said that Secretary of State John Kerry and other U.S. representatives expressed their displeasure to Abbas and reiterated that the Administration would cut off aid to a Palestinian government that did not abide by the Quartet’s three conditions of opposition to terror and recognition of Israel and past agreements.

Nonetheless, it is clear that the Administration also has a “glass half full” view of the controversial deal between the two rival Palestinian factions. Gordon told the Jewish representatives that it would be very difficult to achieve a peace agreement with “half a Palestinian entity” and not with those who are under the rule of Hamas. You can’t make peace with only a part of the Palestinian people, Gordon said.

And you can’t make peace with Hamas at all. Which means you can’t make peace with Fatah either. But it will still all be Israel’s fault… according to John Kerry and Barack Obama.

So what does Philip Gordon think is an obstacle to peace? Read the whole thing. 

Labels: Barack Hussein Obama, Hamas-Fatah reconciliation

posted by Carl in Jerusalem @ 7:46 PM