Hamas Leader Reviews Obama Speech

Time:

About an hour after Barack Obama's excellent Cairo speech, I met with Khaled Meshal, the leader of Hamas, at his office here to talk about the speech and the Israel-Palestine conflict. We spoke for several hours and I will have a fuller accounting of our conversation in my print column next week. Meshal speaks some English, but he feels more comfortable using an interpreter. He listened to my questions in English, asking occasionally for translation of a word or phrase, and gave his answers in Arabic. He never raised his voice or used militant language, but he never yielded on his basic position either.

Read the whole story: Time

Comments

[Prakosh]

The best thing about Obama is that he generally knows where he wants to go and he always has a good sense of how to get there. This makes the possibility of his arriving at a destination much better than people who have no idea where they are going or how to get there. I have faith that he will accomplish something in the Middle East, and I think it will be most of what he wants. And from what he said today that will be a good thing.

[CigarGod]

I was encouraged that Obama recognized the origin of the problem was the formation of Israel and the displacing of the local peoples.

[Prakosh]

Obama has an acute sense of history while Bush was just senseless.

[bronncohowie]

Why give the terrorists a forum to spit out their drivel ? Who cares what Hamas has to say about ANYTHING ? If Meshal really wanted to do something creative, maybe he should move out of his villa in Damascus and go to Gaza to see what he has created there.

[CigarGod]

Israel created it. You know it. Obama knows it.

[MESGAIN26]

ever heard of cutting off the money

[Ander Chi]

I read the comments of the conservative and anger spew out of their mouth, as though Jesus had preached to them.
SAD GUYS, GO READ THE BIBLE BEFORE YOU WRITE.

[RJII]

this speech was amazing and said volumes-- more t.han anyone thought could happen just a year ago. the middle east leaders need to change their fightin ways. Obama rocked

[Steven Feinstein]

Its not so much America has to stop supporting Israel as the surrounding Arab nations (all of them) must accept Israel's right to exist and defend itself. The Arabs are not willing to coexist with Israel - Has Israel ever called for the destruction of the Palestinians or all Arabs as a plank in its foreign policy platform? The answer is no. We all know many Arab leaders (states and radical entities like Hamas and Hezbollah) preach and call for the destruction of Israel. How can that be acceptable in any state of affairs? It can't.

[DawnK]

They don't call for the destruction of Palestine they just do it. The settlements are land taken from Palestinian farmers and citizens. Israel needs to stop spreading the settlements which aren't even Israeli's. From what I understand the settlements are mostly made up of Zionists (think Hamas but Jewish) from places like New York, Poland, Russia, England.... There has to be give on both sides but Israel needs to stop the settlements. What if Canada just slowly started taking over the nothern states because people from other countries moved there with the express intent on getting US land.

[MESGAIN26]

Israel has been in violation of international law since 1967, protected by the United States’ Israel’s attacks on Gaza, IS a disproportionate response to Hamas rocket attacks. Israel is not exempt from international law and must be held accountable We No Longer can Be Silent In 2006 the US insisted that the Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank hold free elections. When free elections were held, Hamas won , Israel has decided to destroy the freely elected government with violence. Israel can drive West Bank Palestinians off their lands and out of their villages and give the stolen properties to “settlers.”The American people, therefore, have a responsibility to act and pressure the our government to end its financial, military, and diplomatic support for Israeli violations of international law -- a necessary first step towards any viable and sustainable peace

[CigarGod]

Actually, Israel has never lived up to it's agreement of 1947.

[CigarGod]

Wrong.
Israel's FM has called for the destruction of Palestinians and to drive tem into the sea.
Just google. It's easy.

[adelphi sky]

The speech opened a door for action. It's like chopping away at a brick wall. One brick at a time. changing the course of history will take generations, not years. But you have to start somewhere.

[Prakosh]

As Galeano and others have noted, man makes history and he can remake history too. It just takes will and determination.

[talkitreal]

Unfortunetly Hamas was democratically elected by some Palestinians, - so as much as Hamas is like a sore, they are going to have to stop the violence, and recognize Israel's right to exist, be part of the political solution within their own country of Palestine, and for the broader Peace Deal between the Palestinian people, and the Israelis.

[MESGAIN26]

Twice this year, the leaders of Hamas indicated their readiness to accept a Palestinian State within the 1967 borders. with israel did Israel agree no

[3dtrix]

No disrespect intended, but that's a lot like Germany suing for peace in 1945 based on the 1943 borders...

[CigarGod]

Democratically elected by MOST Palestinians.

Israel must first recognize Palestines right to exist. They were the invading force.

[Yancey3]

Another Time shill.

[vinny]

Wasn't Khaled Meshal was in that movie Syriana? No wait, that was the Hamas leader George Clooney.

Whichever the case, Meshal is absolutely right. Obama can admit to the CIA overthrowing Iran's democratic­ally-elect­ed government in 1953, but just a couple weeks prior meets with Abbas whose term ended on Jan 9 but decided to unilaterally extend his presidency of the Palestinian National Authority. Abbas - an unelected official at this point, subverting the democratic process - recently sent out his hench men to shoot down members of Hamas, i.e. his own countrymen.

Obama has got to get real about the situation. Nothing is going to happen until there are new elections in Palestine. That's the very first REAL step.

[CigarGod]

Abbas, USA and Israel are working together to eliminate Hamas. Hamas won't agree to be a puppet like Abbas.

[yakaria]

What? Are you supporting Hamas. They actively recruit people to blow themselves up to kill innocent Israelis. Or do you just support them because they are Anti-Israel?

[livesimply]

"The stage has now been set for negotiations throughout the region. It is time for the real give-and-take to begin, for the real deals to be made...or not. This is the arena where Obama is least likely to succeed, but I have a sneaking suspicion that he will judge the success of his own presidency--and his legacy--on how well he does here."

Whether real deals that produce peaceful results are made or not, he is certainly setting the stage and that is something that has been sorely needed. Attitudes are gradually changing and will continue to.

[montecarlo408]

A lot of people in the Middle East are doing what the GOP does and what the Clintons did-they are underestimating this President. Do so at your own peril.

[vinny]

there's a huge difference between talk and action.

nothing is going to happen until a new president of palestine is elected. obama has got to get behind that process, rather than pretending that the expired presidency of abbas means something...

[Furby]

What the heck does "do so at your own peril" mean? Anyway, it is clear lip service will not suffice in the middle east. Actions are required and the Arab world wants the US to stop supporting Israel's occupation of Palestine. The rest is all talk.