The answer will determine if Hamas changes its terror-bombing stripes and engages in real peace efforts. But the fastest way that will happen, Middle East expert Dennis Ross says, is if the U.S. and Europe “stick together” in demanding that Hamas reject terrorism and accept Israel’s right to exist and the legitimacy of the peace process based on the concept of peaceful coexistence. A united front, Ross argues, is the most effective way Hamas will get the message that if you don’t change, you will be “cut-off from the outside world.” He also made the point in a Fox News interview today that Hamas will try to drive a wedge between the U.S. and Europe as a means to gain some international recognition without renouncing their charter. Europe aside, what’s clear is that the U.S. government can’t conduct a credible War on Terror while at the same time work with a Palestinian government that supports terrorist attacks. The ball is in Hamas’ court.
