Likud and Hamas, Mirrors of Obstinance

When it comes to negotiations, Hamas has taken a particularly strong thrashing at the hands of the global media – the notion of Hamas being utterly uncooperative has become a defining characteristic.

But what of the other side?

Laying the Gaza conflict to one side – difficult though it may be in light of recent ominous events – a swift appraisal of the Likud Charter, a shadowy document that has not received as much as an iota of regard in comparison to its Hamas counterpart, reveals an equally staunch stance:

The Jewish communities in Judea, Samaria and Gaza are the realization of Zionist values. Settlement of the land is a clear expression of the unassailable right of the Jewish people to the Land of Israel and constitutes an important asset in the defense of the vital interests of the State of Israel. The Likud will continue to strengthen and develop these communities and will prevent their uprooting. …The Government of Israel flatly rejects the establishment of a Palestinian Arab state west of the Jordan river. [Source]

Sure, we know this is the well-worn Likud track – but perhaps the media is forgetting it.

Hamas is recalcitrant; but so is its opponent.

I recently reviewed a book that dedicated an entire chapter to a critical analysis of the rhetoric comprised within the PLO and Hamas charters.

For the Israeli author, the bugbears that fuel the Palestine-Israel conflict can be traced to the two documents.

However, in the name of objectivity, I wager that we should not be naive and attribute all the political ineptitude to one side.

As Likud edges towards electoral victory and Netanyahu promises more settlements, it is all the more crucial that the rose-tinted lenses are removed, along with the kid gloves.

Real diplomatic action must be realized not in the studios of Al-Arabiya, but in the context of the Israeli-Palestinian negotiations.