A Step

Hamas leader Hassan Youssef (not the top leader, but regional chief for the West Bank), surprised everyone and made headlines by declaring a change in Hamas' policy:

"Hamas has announced that it accepts a Palestinian independent state within the 1967 borders with a long-term truce," Sheikh Hassan Yousef, the top Hamas leader in the West Bank, told The Associated Press, referring to lands Israel captured in the 1967 Mideast war.

Yousef said the Hamas position was new and called it a "stage." In the past, Hamas has said it would accept a state in the 1967 borders as a first step to taking over Israel. Yousef did not spell out the conditions for the renewable cease-fire nor did he say how long it would last.

"For us a truce means that two warring parties live side by side in peace and security for a certain period and this period is eligible for renewal," Yousef said. "That means Hamas accepts that the other party will live in security and peace."

This does not reflect a major change in policy or ideology, but it does reflect a positive change in tactics. Hamas will not become Israel's partner in the peace process, but if they stick to this new position it means they will not be obstructionist either.

Why the change? Haaretz attributes it later in the article to the targeted killings of many Hamas leaders. This is probably a factor, but the timing - less than a month after Arafat's death - is telling as well. With Arafat alive, there was no doubt who would be the leader of a Palestinian state, big or small. Now, the Fatah leadership is divided and made up of much less inspiring figures. Hamas rightly calculates that they will have a much better chance of taking over a new Palestinian state, democratically or otherwise, and either being satisfied with that or using it as a springboard for attacking Israel.

All you Sharonites will of course argue that this is all the more reason to deny the Palestinians a state. I disagree. If Israel denies Palestine statehood, it guarantees terrorism, and forces Palestinian youths into a situation where they have nothing to lose by joining Hamas. Given a state, especially a secular one (which the U.S., Egypt, and Jordan will guarantee), Palestinians will be able to make a rational choice to eschew confrontation with Israel. Even if Hamas gains power, they will have to decide whether to put their newfound power on the line by making a suicidal attack on Israel. The fact is that terrorists are more of a threat to Israel than soldiers, and subjugated Palestinians are more of a threat than free Palestinians next door.