This is a responsible negotiating partner?

One of the standard mantras uttered by Middle East experts is that if the Bush administration had approached Hamas differently when they came to power in 2006, that group could have eventually cut a deal with Israel. This may very well be true, but every once in a while I run into a story like ...

By , a professor of international politics at the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University and co-host of the Space the Nation podcast.

One of the standard mantras uttered by Middle East experts is that if the Bush administration had approached Hamas differently when they came to power in 2006, that group could have eventually cut a deal with Israel. This may very well be true, but every once in a while I run into a story like this one in the New York Times that makes me wonder just how much wishful thinking is embedded in that sentiment: Hamas television, which was criticized for a Mickey Mouse-like character named Farfur who spouted anti-Israeli and anti-Jewish nostrums at children, has replaced the mouse with a bee named Nahoul, who says he is Farfur?s cousin. Farfur was beaten to death by an Israeli who wanted his land on the previous episode of the children?s show ?Tomorrow?s Pioneers.? Nahoul, the bee, says: ?I want to continue on the path of Farfur, the path of ?Islam is the solution.? The path of heroism, the path of martyrdom, the path of jihad warriors.? In the name of Farfur, the bee says, ?we shall take revenge on the enemies of Allah, the murderers of the prophets, the murderers of innocent children, until Al Aksa will be liberated from their filth.?UPDATE: In the words of my people... sweet fancy Moses!!

One of the standard mantras uttered by Middle East experts is that if the Bush administration had approached Hamas differently when they came to power in 2006, that group could have eventually cut a deal with Israel. This may very well be true, but every once in a while I run into a story like this one in the New York Times that makes me wonder just how much wishful thinking is embedded in that sentiment:

Hamas television, which was criticized for a Mickey Mouse-like character named Farfur who spouted anti-Israeli and anti-Jewish nostrums at children, has replaced the mouse with a bee named Nahoul, who says he is Farfur?s cousin. Farfur was beaten to death by an Israeli who wanted his land on the previous episode of the children?s show ?Tomorrow?s Pioneers.? Nahoul, the bee, says: ?I want to continue on the path of Farfur, the path of ?Islam is the solution.? The path of heroism, the path of martyrdom, the path of jihad warriors.? In the name of Farfur, the bee says, ?we shall take revenge on the enemies of Allah, the murderers of the prophets, the murderers of innocent children, until Al Aksa will be liberated from their filth.?

UPDATE: In the words of my people… sweet fancy Moses!!

Daniel W. Drezner is a professor of international politics at the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University and co-host of the Space the Nation podcast. Twitter: @dandrezner

Tag: Theory

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