Rice Told to Talk to Hamas

The Jewish Review

August 15, 2007

JERUSALEM (JTA)—A dovish pro-Israel group urged Condoleezza Rice to contact Palestinians affiliated with Hamas to alleviate the humanitarian crisis in the Gaza Strip. "In the name of ensuring humanitarian treatment of the Palestinian people, please consider a pragmatic policy of contact with those Palestinians in control of the Gaza side of these border crossings who may be affiliated with Hamas," Marcia Freedman, the Brit Tzedek v'Shalom president, said in a letter sent Aug. 10 to the U.S. secretary of state. Rice has pledged to funnel $40 million in emergency assistance to Gaza now that it has been taken over by the terrorist group, but will not deal with Hamas. Such dealings are banned under U.S. law. "Without such contact, we fear a dangerous resurgence of attacks against Israelis and renewed factional violence in Gaza," Freedman wrote.