HYPOCRISY OVER HAMAS

by RAY FLEMING
WE must not negotiate with a terrorist group intent on Israel's destruction. Whose words were those, in connection with former President Carter's much-criticised meeting with the leader of Hamas in Syria on Friday? George W Bush? Dick Cheney? Ehud Olmert? Shimon Peres? Mahmoud Abbas? Tony Blair? None of the above, although the words almost certainly reflected the opinion of those whose names I have mentioned and of the many others who so mistakenly think that peace can be negotiated between Israel and the Palestinians without talking to Hamas which currently occupies Gaza. The speaker was none other than Barak Obama, the man who is fighting for the Democratic nomination for the US presidency on a platform of changing the way the American government thinks and acts. Earlier in his campaign Mr Obama said that one of his first acts if he were elected would be to call a meeting of all the leaders of the Arab world to discuss how the Israeli-Palestinian conflict might be solved. But, apparently, from what he said last week, Mr Obama's invitation would not be extended to Hamas. There is no need to waste words discussing why the bold Barack Obama is so timid when it comes to Hamas. The reason is clear. The hypocrisy is sickening.