How is this going to end??

Like pretty much everyone else, I want to see the fighting and killing in Gaza come to an end. A friend has suggested that if the Israelis’ would give the Palestinians Hope, and even switch from war to rebuilding their infrastructure, lifting the embargo, dismantling the settlements, and other acts of peace and goodwill, this would have an effect. I agree with the sentiment, but I can’t help wondering if could be effective. I can’t help wondering if ANY attempt at peace would or could be effective as long as Hamas is in power. Here are some statements in Hamas’ Charter. How does one negotiate and collaborate with people who say these things? What realistic choices does Israel have?

‘”Israel will exist and will continue to exist until Islam will obliterate it” (Preamble)

“In the face of the Jews’ usurpation, it is compulsory that the banner of Jihad be raised.” (Article 15)

Peace initiatives are explicitly ridiculed:

“[Peace] initiatives, and so-called peaceful solutions and international conferences are in contradiction to the principles of the Islamic Resistance Movement… There is no solution for the Palestinian problem except by Jihad. Initiatives, proposals and international conferences are but a waste of time, an exercise in futility.” (Article 13)

“The Day of Judgment will not come about until Moslems fight Jews and kill them. Then, the Jews will hide behind rocks and trees, and the rocks and trees will cry out: ‘O Moslem, there is a Jew hiding behind me, come and kill him.” (Article 7)

Then, of course, there’s the usual tiresome anti-Semitic claims they probably learned for ‘Mein Kampf’ (which Arafat made all his followers read), peppered with a few modern additions like how evil the Rotary Club is:

“With their money, they took control of the world media… With their money they stirred revolutions in various parts of the globe… They stood behind the French Revolution, the Communist Revolution and most of the revolutions we hear about… With their money they formed secret organizations – such as the Freemasons, Rotary Clubs and the Lions – which are spreading around the world, in order to destroy societies and carry out Zionist interests… They stood behind World War I … and formed the League of Nations through which they could rule the world. They were behind World War II, through which they made huge financial gains… There is no war going on anywhere without them having their finger in it.’ (Article 22)

And let’s not forget the “Protocols of Zion” that Hitler enjoyed so much, and were discredited long ago as obvious forgeries:

‘Zionism scheming has no end, and after Palestine, they will covet expansion from the Nile to the Euphrates River. When they have finished digesting the area on which they have laid their hand, they will look forward to more expansion. Their scheme has been laid out in the ‘Protocols of the Elders of Zion’.’ (Article 32)

“The HAMAS regards itself as the spearhead and the vanguard of the circle of struggle against World Zionism… Islamic groups all over the Arab world should also do the same, since they are best equipped for their future role in the fight against the warmongering Jews.” (Article 32)

So I ask you, how is this ever going to end? Israel obviously cannot lay down their arms in the face of this kind of hatred and determination to kill them. Israel isn’t going to go away, any more than Americans are going to return to Europe and give the land back to Native Americans.(arguably just, but no one is expecting it to happen. But all this killing and slaughter of innocents can’t be the solution.

How is this going to end??