Hamas’ pragmatism rejected by Israel (again and again)
JVL Introduction
This article digs deeper into a report addressed in an earlier Ha’aretz article that we posted on 9th September. This also notes that warnings were given and ignored, that negotiations had been stalled by Israel; that Hamas’ promise to release without conditions those taken hostage in Israel on October 7th who were too young or too old for military service was also ignored. It goes into the deeper context including the reality of Israel’s violence and blockade as well as many years of pragmatism from Hamas and the insistence by Israel and its supporters (and the western media) to always refer to Hamas as terrorists, Islamists and fundamentalists.
It suggests that like all liberation movements, violence was a tool in Hamas leader Sinwar’s arsenal and that the failure to make progress even when things had been agreed forced his hand. even though he must have realised that it was highly likely, if not inevitable that Israel would assassinate him. “Would a zealot [Sinwar] worth his salt have engaged in such prolonged negotiations with an adversary capable of killing him before the talks even concluded? …”
Translated by Sol Salbe (in “Pomegranate Place on Facebook)
This article was originally published by Ha'aretz (Hebrew) on Sat 19 Sep 2026. Read the original here.
Hamas was actually pragmatic, we weren't
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What a well written article.
If Israel were not colonising and ethnically cleansing a land where indigenous have been for a millennia, there would be no resistance. No Hamas. Resistance is created by States. Where there is injustice there will be resistance by the people. Palestinians have put up with such evil barbarism. Should they lay down and accept their fate?
Most Resistance have tried dialogue with their oppressors, who most of the time do not care to hear the oppressed? Violence is sometime the only way to be heard. When they use violence they are labelled terrorists. However we forget the oppressors use violence against those they oppress. How many Palestinians have been killed since the great catastrophe? When I think about that I am overwhelmed with sadness and an ache in my heart. I feel this way about all indigenous groups.
The UN Security Council does not proscribe Hamas as Terrorists. Multiple countries see them as a ‘liberation group’ or ‘resistance fighters’.
Isn’t it about time the UK overturned Hamas’s proscription as a terror group and engaged in meaningful dialogue?