Hamas should realize its regional weakness and engage directly with Israel, a Gaza-based journalist close to the Islamic movement argues in an opinion article published last week.
In a piece published by Hamas daily al-Resalah on May 25 titled “Why should there be no negotiations?” Mustafa Sawwaf, who writes a weekly column for the movement’s daily Falasteen, says that Hamas should learn from Fatah and adapt to the changing circumstances in relation to Israel.
“Will the day ever come when we shall see you sitting at the negotiating table with Israel to discuss [our] rights and principles, given the realistic logic of ‘something is better than nothing?’” wondered Sawwaf. “Or will you capitulate to the schemes of our enemies, who will continue their pressure until you wave the white flag and give in to all their demands and end up recognizing Israel’s right to exist?”
Hamas refuses to recognize Israel, calling for its replacement with a Palestinian state spanning from the Jordan River to the Mediterranean Sea, according to its 1988 founding charter. The Islamic movement’s publications often do not refer to Israel by name, dubbing it instead “the Zionist entity.”
— Elhanan Miller
Gaza journalist Mustafa Sawwaf photographed at a Hamas rally in 2011 [Mustafa Sawwaf Facebook page]
Help us report truthfully on social media
As a multimedia journalist, my job is to take the quality, fact-based journalism produced by The Times of Israel newsroom and make it accessible across every platform — from Instagram posts to podcasts to short-form videos.
This is how many, especially young people, consume news these days. But misinformation is rampant on social media. Our team at ToI produces accurate, responsible short-form reporting on Israel and the Jewish world.
If you believe in the importance of factual social media journalism, please consider joining our reader support group, The Times of Israel Community. Your financial support is essential to sustain responsible multimedia reporting.
We’re really pleased that you’ve read X Times of Israel articles in the past month.
That’s why we started the Times of Israel - to provide discerning readers like you with must-read coverage of Israel and the Jewish world.
So now we have a request. Unlike other news outlets, we haven’t put up a paywall. But as the journalism we do is costly, we invite readers for whom The Times of Israel has become important to help support our work by joining The Times of Israel Community.
For as little as $6 a month you can help support our quality journalism while enjoying The Times of Israel AD-FREE, as well as accessing exclusive content available only to Times of Israel Community members.
Thank you, David Horovitz, Founding Editor of The Times of Israel
From the Liveblog of
Monday, June 1, 2015
Add ToI as a Preferred Source on Google![Gaza journalist Mustafa Sawwaf photographed at a Hamas rally in 2011 [Mustafa Sawwaf Facebook page]](https://static-cdn.toi-media.com/www/uploads/2015/06/Sawwaf-e1433176011172.jpg "Gaza journalist Mustafa Sawwaf photographed at a Hamas rally in 2011 [Mustafa Sawwaf Facebook page]")
