Washington – The incoming Obama administration will not abandon President George Bush’s doctrine of isolating Hamas, the Obama transition team’s chief national security spokeswoman has told The Jerusalem Post.
Subscribe to our Daily Roundup Email
The next US president will not break the policy of isolating Hamas, an Obama spokesperson told The
President-elect Barack Obama “has repeatedly stated that he believes that Hamas is a terrorist organization dedicated to Israel’s destruction, and that we should not deal with them until they recognize Israel, renounce violence, and abide by past agreements,” said Brooke Anderson in a statement to the Post.
Those conditions match the international Quartet’s long-standing demands from Hamas, shared by Israel.
The Obama spokeswoman was responding to an article in Britain’s Guardian newspaper on Friday.
The report asserted that three people with knowledge of discussions held in the Obama camp said that while the president-elect would not approve direct diplomatic negotiations with Hamas early on, his advisers were urging him to initiate low-level or clandestine approaches, in light of the growing belief in Washington that ostracizing the terror group is a counterproductive policy.
“The president-elect’s repeated statements [about not dealing with Hamas] are accurate,” Anderson said. “This unsourced story is not.”
The US State Department designated Hamas a terrorist organization, and in 2006 Congress passed a law banning US financial aid to the group.
Kodus, Obama. Stay strong and do whats right.
I always believed this man wasn’t stupid!
I think Obama will have a difficult balancing act once he takes office since there are many liberal democrats who are traditionally stongly pro-Israel but are outraged by the nightly T.V. newcasts showing hundreds of palestinian civilian casulties and the pictures of dozens of dead and maimed children. We can say over and over that those deaths are the fault of Hamas for shooting their rockets from within civilian areas but if this doesn’t end quickly, the sentiment will quickly swing over against Israel even among our friends in Congress. I really hope this is all over quickly and certain before Obama takes office next week; otherwise, he will be forced to call for an immediate cease fire and Isreali withdrawal.
Baruch Hashem!
I would worry more what Olmert says and the relentless anti-israel propganda by the n.k. , heilige erliche yidden
Any of you ready to issue an apology for all the nonsense that has been written about him?
Didn’t Obama say he will debate Mccain in 10 town hall meatings as well? Didn’t Obama say he will not take private donations in the general electon as well?
Not sure he can be believed.