‘Legimitizing’ Hamas

Tzipi Livni says Israel can’t have a cease-fire with Hamas because that would “legitimize” the organization. Actually, Hamas’ legitimacy is beyond question, having been democratically elected to govern the Palestinians in 2006. And Israel knows it will eventually have to talk to the organization — indeed, it already has been; that’s why there was a cease-fire from June to December. If Israel was to confine its negotiation efforts to those it considers “legitimate,” it would have to negotiate a cease-fire with Abu Mazen. Which would be pointless, of course, because Abu Mazen has longsince retired from the business of confronting Israel. (Then again, rewind the clock 20 years, and Livni and her ilk were saying you couldn’t negotiate with Abu Mazen, either, because that would “legitimize” him…)