The Jewish Chronicle

Obama has given Hamas free rein

- DOVID EFUNE The author, based in New York, is the Editor-in-Chief of the Algemeiner and Executive Director of the Gershon Jacobson Foundation

HOURS AFTER news broke that the three Israeli teenagers — including an American citizen — had been murdered, Ofir Akunis, Deputy Minister in the Office of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, told me that the slayings were a “direct result” of the formation of the Palestinia­n unity government — or “terror government”, as he put it.

He also admonished the US and other Western countries for rushing to accept and de facto endorse the deal between Fatah and terror group Hamas.

He implicitly attributed to the US partial responsibi­lity for Israel’s hellish experience­s over the past days.

Earlier that day, in a remarkable exchange, Associated Press reporter Matt Lee confronted US State Department spokeswoma­n Jen Psaki regarding the increase in rocket attacks from Hamas-controlled Gaza, and the group’s alleged involvemen­t in the slaying of the teens.

“Is that something that would make you rethink your position as it relates to the Palestinia­n government?” Mr Lee asked. Ms Psaki insisted that the government was “making every effort” to abide by US requiremen­ts for support, including the renunciati­on of violence.

The Obama administra­tion has also aggressive­ly defended US aid to the Palestinia­n Authority, which is under threat from members of Congress seeking to apply a 2006 law that bans funding for any Palestinia­n government that includes members of a terrorist outfit.

In fact, the Washington Post reported that the Obama administra­tion actually worked behind the scenes to suggest terms for the new unity government that would not trigger the US ban. As such, it ensured that no actual terror operative would occupy a ministry — only Hamas-backed puppet ministers.

The US position is a source of untold frustratio­n for Israel.

“Hamas is getting stronger in Judea and Samaria. That’s what happened,” Mr Akunis lamented.

For Israel, the semantics are irrelevant. What matters is only the outcome: this was an opening for Hamas to seize more control.

When Hamas was empowered in 2006, in part by President George Bush, who endorsed its running in Palestinia­n elections, the result was its takeover of Gaza. Now Israel fears that President Barack Obama has enabled the Islamist group to fulfil its longtime ambition: to extend its rule to the West Bank.

And it is precisely the US administra­tion’s typical misreading of the situation that will stifle its own objective of peace in the region.

With the “Arab Spring” behind us, it should by now be obvious that state department diplomats have about as much influence on the ground in the Middle East as toddlers at a tea party. It should therefore come as no surprise when Hamas seizes on this opportunit­y to absorb what remains of the PA’s influence over the Palestinia­n populace and drive the final nail into the coffin known as

the “peace process”.

 ?? PHOTO: GETTY IMAGES ?? Barack Obama
PHOTO: GETTY IMAGES Barack Obama
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