Significance of the Gaza truce?

[Voronwë the Faithful]

As I imagine most of you have heard, a truce was negotiated yesterday between Israel and Hamas to end the eight days of fighting that had lead to over a hundred Palestinians killed, as well as five Israelis, and threatened to explode exponentially if the Israeli ground invasion occurred. The truce was primarily mediated by Egypt, which will take a prime role in the difficult task of enforcing it. U.S. Secretary of State Hilary Clinton also played a major role, with many accounts also crediting President Obama with helping to push Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu to accept the truce. In addition to agreeing to stop air attacks and targeted assassinations of Hamas leaders in exchange for an end to rocket attacks from Gaza and other cross-border incursions, the agreement calls for a negotiated end to the Israeli blockade of Gaza.

It remains to be seen how this will all play out. There are several very significant question marks. First, whether the opening of the borders can be successfully agreed to and carried out. Second, whether Hamas can prevent other militant groups like the Islamic Jihad and other smaller groups from continuing to carry out rocket attacks and other attacks. Third whether Egypt's new Muslim Brotherhood-based government, which has strong ties to Hamas, can successfully serve as an equitable bridge between Hamas and Israeli.

However, the eternal optimist in me sees a potentially significant long term implication. Never before has Israel negotiated directly with Hamas. Israel (and the U.S.) considers Hamas nothing but a terrorist organization. And Hamas, of course, refuses to acknowledge Israel's right to exist. And yet, Hamas is the democratically-elected government in Gaza. Any long-term negotiated two-state solution must include Hamas. I am hopeful (although perhaps without any good reason), that if this truce holds, it will eventually lead to the reopening of peace talks aimed at a comprehensive two-state solution. Of course, I said the same thing when Hamas was first elected in 2006, and that was proven tragically wrong. Still, there is always hope.

[JewelSong]

If you haven't already seen it, this is well worth watching.

Brilliant, clever, true and very, very sad. Be sure to read the explanation underneath the video.

http://blog.ninapaley.com/2012/10/01/this-land-is-mine/

[Voronwë the Faithful]

Nina Paley used to live here in Santa Cruz. I am not a fan of hers (I haven't watched this video, so I am not making a specific comment about it).

[JewelSong]

This is the first I've heard of her, or seen of any of her work. I'm a fan now.

I think she's brilliant and talented. And this piece really struck a chord with me.