Peace in Gaza?

Will They Forgive? Will They Forget?

Back to a kind of life: A shaken people still want an end to the siege, Palestinian unity, and peace:

In the streets you hear only support for Hamas. In more secluded conversations, views are more nuanced, with expressions of anger, fear and exhaustion. “People are furious with Hamas for bringing this on us,” says a taxi driver from Jabaliya, a big refugee camp in the north of the strip, after first making sure that the car windows were closed and no one was eavesdropping. “But they are too afraid to speak out. They know that if they say the truth about this war they may disappear.”

But he also describes how people’s feelings changed as the war went on. At first, some were delighted by the prospect of Hamas’s demise. But after days of bombs, sentiment shifted. “The Israelis made a mistake when they killed so many women and children. Everyone then supported Hamas. The Israelis made a big mistake.” He repeats that last phrase several times.

...Even those who refuse to blame Hamas want some sort of peace deal to let them think that all the death and destruction was not for nothing. Many say a proposed year-long ceasefire is not enough. Their main desire is for the borders to be opened and for the economic and physical siege to be lifted. “My brother’s wedding is in Cairo on Friday,” says a Gazan waiting at the still-closed Rafah crossing. “I want to be there.”

I'm watching with great interest how the international community responds to the renewed cries for MidEast diplomacy. As an American, I am especially curious to see what Obama and his administration will do. While the U.S. should certainly play a role in the peace process, I do not think anyone, including the U.S., should fool himself into thinking of the U.S. strictly as a neutral mediator of some kind. We should not expect Palestinians to like this any more than Israelis would appreciate Iran acting as a neutral mediator of some kind. If it walks like a duck and talks like a duck...That said, I do think and hope we can play an important role. Go Georgie!