The true colors of Hamas, the Islamist terrorist group that rules the Gaza Strip, must be exposed if any progress is to be made in the efforts to resolve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, top U.S. officials told CNN Sunday.
In a joint opinion peace penned by U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Nikki Haley, senior White House adviser Jared Kushner, U.S. Ambassador to Israel David Friedman and U.S. Special Representative for International Negotiations Jason Greenblatt, the four lambasted the U.N. for its anti-Israel bias and urged the international community to acknowledge that it is Hamas' policies that jeopardize Gaza's future more than anything else.
The international community must hold Hamas accountable for its actions, the piece asserted, noting that "unfortunately, Hamas' malign activity is pushing Israel to engage in increasingly significant acts of self-defense. As in the case of past conflicts, Hamas starts a clash, loses the battle and its people suffer. That is the reality that needs to change."
"That foundation of reality underscores our administration's approach to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict," they explained. "Recognizing Jerusalem as Israel's capital was a reflection of reality. Any realistic person knows that Jerusalem will remain the capital of Israel under any peace agreement. But as President Donald Trump said when he made that decision, he made no judgment about the final borders of Jerusalem; the President directly called on all parties to maintain the status quo at Jerusalem's holy sites. Those questions are for the parties to decide."
"Peace can only succeed if it is based on realities," the piece said with respect to the Israeli-Palestinian peace plan the White House is devising, adding that "no one will be fully pleased with our proposal, but that's the way it must be if real peace is to be achieved."
They further contended that "the peace proposal we will make will be realistic, recognizing the legitimate needs of both Israel and the Palestinians as well as the interests of the broader region."
