Israel has blocked peace talks for 5 years

British Writer Patrick Seale noted that US policy in its blind support of Israel is wrong headed reffering to US President Jimmy Carter's comments that "A negotiated agreement is the only path to a permanent two-state solution, providing peace for Israel and justice for the Palestinians."

Yesterday, US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said the United States would like to see the Palestinian Hamas group succeed in leading the next Palestinian government, but added that success can be achieved only on a platform of peace. "We would like nothing better, actually, than to see Hamas succeed." "They will only succeed if it's on the basis of a platform for peace," she added.

Seale noted that "Some commentators have claimed that the victory of Hamas has set back the cause of peace. Carter punctured this argument by declaring, 'The election of Hamas candidates cannot adversely affect genuine peace talks, since such talks have been nonexistent for over five years.'"

Seale spoke about pro Israeli forces inside the Bush administration controlling US policy and noted Jimmy Carter's warning that "the result of punishing Hamas, will be 'to alienate the already oppressed and innocent Palestinians, to incite violence, and to increase the domestic and international esteem of Hamas. It will certainly not be an inducement to Hamas to moderate their policies.'"