The Quartet of Cluelessness

The United States and three international supporters of the Middle East peace process said Wednesday that the next Palestinian Cabinet should not include members of Hamas or other militant groups committed to violence.

A statement by the four parties, known as the Quartet, did not name Hamas, but said a future Palestinian Cabinet 'should include no member who has not committed to the principles of Israel's right to exist in peace and security and an unequivocal end to violence and terrorism.'

If the Quartet was serious about this statement, it just ruled out every single member of the PA from running in the election, not just Hamas.

There has not been any unequivocal desire to stop terror by any PA leader. Every terror attack is "condemned" because of its adverse effects on the Palestinian Arabs, not because it is wrong. All current PA ministers are members of Fatah, which expresses its explicit desire to destroy Israel. The fact that the PA maps of the region do not show Israel makes it very clear that they have no long-term desire to accept Israel's existence.

There is no difference between the Fatah members of the PA and the terrorists of Hamas and Islamic Jihad, except that Fatah is more secular and slightly more willing to make a temporary truce with Israel en route to destroying it. If the Quartet thinks that its statement excludes Hamas only, it is showing only that it still does not have a clue.