Rami Khouri on Hamas and Hizbullah:

Hamas and Hizbullah are among the most effective and legitimate political movements in the Arab world: They have forced unilateral Israeli retreats that no Arab army could induce; won elections democratically without resorting to the gerrymandering or ballot box stuffing that most American-supported Arab regimes live by; provided efficient service delivery and local governance to their constituents; and sustained resistance to Israeli occupation that appeals to the desire of ordinary Arabs to restore dignity to their battered lives and to their shattered, hollow political systems.

We should criticize such Islamists for some of their policies and ambiguities. But it is a big mistake to confront and fight them mainly because they challenge Israel, are friendly to Iran and Syria, and represent vanguards of regional Islamism; for these three attributes precisely define much of their indigenous efficacy and legitimacy. Those who wish to fight Hamas and Hizbullah would do better to help address the indigenous grievances in Lebanon and Palestine that gave birth to these groups and continue to underpin their popularity.

My own take is that you have to recognize and deal with Hamas and Hizabullah precisely because they are popular and strong. It does little good to try to deal with groups that can't deliver a solid agreement. It also does little good to insist on terms that aren't acceptable. That's pretty much what Israel did with Arafat in the Oslo Accords: by agreeing to an unacceptable deal, Arafat showed how weak he really was; then, as the terms hardened, he had to back-peddle to save his leadership. That ultimately left him unable either to deal or to deliver, so he did nothing and took the blame for everything.

But neither Israel nor the US, at least under Bush, wants any sort of deal. They want to show that force works. They're having a hard time making their case, but as long as it's the only tool in their kit, it's the only one they have to fall back on. Back when the Baker-Hamilton Iraq Study Group report was due, it was totally clear that nothing Bush had done had worked, and that the only sane thing to do was to shift course. So what did Bush do? He announced the Surge, arguing that we had to give force one more chance. Pretty much everyone predicted then it would fail, and six months later the only thing the Surge has achieved is a significant increase in the number of dead American soldiers. Now Bush is still biding for time -- September is the latest magic date, but even now they're hedging their bets. And come September, what will the new plan be? Another plea to give force one more chance.

Israel is in a similar boat. No matter how many walls they build, how many checkpoints they throw up, etc., the only thing that will provide security to Israel is if Palestinians choose not to attack or strike back. To do that they need a deal; to do that they need a credible partner, who can accept a reasonable deal -- minimally, one that allows Palestinians to live normal lives with full rights and justice -- and make it stick. Hamas may or may not be a partner, but Abbas certainly isn't -- the US and Israel just destroyed what little was left of his credibility.