Hamas recognizes Israel's Right to Exist

There are some sentences I never thought I'd read outside of Science Fiction. This is one of them.

Hamas has accepted Israel's right to exist and would be prepared to nullify its charter, which calls for the destruction of Israel, Aziz Dwaik, Hamas's most senior representative in the West Bank, said on Wednesday.

Hamas, you may recall, has historically been dedicated to the destruction of Israel and the establishment of an Islamic state in its place. They have fired thousands of rockets into Israel and killed many, many innocent civilians. But now, in control of the Palestinian territories, they are realizing that there may be more to gain by accepting Israel and actually considering peace.

There is no way to know how long this will last. It may simply be a PR stunt to facilitate getting foreign aid. But previously, this was unimaginable. And who knows what will happen, once you have crossed the rubicon

Israel bids goodbye to the Cease Fire

Allegedly in response to repeated rocket attacks from Gaza - though I wonder if it has more to do with the election battle with Netanyahu - Prime Minster Ehud Olmert ordered massive air strikes in the Gaza Strip. The attacks were on Hamas, and included a number of quite specific targets.

Black smoke billowed over Gaza City, where the dead and wounded lay scattered on the ground after more than 30 air strikes destroyed several security compounds, including two where Hamas was hosting graduation ceremonies for new recruits.

Among the dead were the Hamas-appointed police chief, Tawfiq Jabber, the head of Hamas's security and protection unit, and the governor of central Gaza, according to medical workers.

If anyone thought President-Elect Obama would be entering office able to focus on a single crisis, it is time to revise that opinion. Here is hoping Obama's team can handle both a sagging economy, a war in Iraq, and a near-war in Israel all at the same time.