Online NewsHour -- Profile: Hamas

Hamas. Dedicated to the destruction of Israel. I know something of the history of the Israeli/Palestinian conflict. Whatever side you come down on though, it just seems to me that you can't deny the futility of armed conflict. Hamas seeks no accomodation with Israel. They seek its destruction. Israel wants to survive, and cannot give ground to Hamas or others of its ilk. Neither can militarily defeat the other. With all the misery that Palestinian people live in, the poverty and struggle, I have often wondered why they do not abandon this strategy of violence and death. The palestinians offer themselves up as victims and expect compassion for their plight. But terrorists are singularly unlovable. I often wonder why they don't adopt a strategy of non-violent protest, take a page from the books of successful movements led by King or Ghandi. Its not for lack of courage or resolve. If you can strap on a bomb and detonate yourself, you can march on the Israeli army. In India, in S. Africa, America, non-violent movements got the job done. The Palestinians could and should take a lesson.