Word: palestinians
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Dates: during 2000-2009
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...Peace isn't made unilaterally. An unstated part of Israeli policy was that provocations by Hamas and Hizballah would have to be met with real force, lest it seem that Israel was merely retreating from a tough fight. Furthermore, it was the Bush Administration-not the Israelis, not the Palestinian Authority-that insisted the Palestinian elections go forward last January, with disastrous consequences. "The only people who want those elections are Condi Rice and Hamas," a prominent member of Israel's Kadima party told me just before Hamas won the election. A more careful and collegial U.S. Middle East policy...
...HAMAS A Palestinian extremist group founded in 1987 and known for directing suicide bombings against Israel. It's now the ruling Palestinian party THE TARGET...
...intimate relationship between Iran and Hizballah has evolved since 2000, when Israel's withdrawal from southern Lebanon freed the militant group to expand the scope of its activities in the region. U.S. officials believe Iran has looked increasingly to Hizballah as a tool to thwart the Israeli-Palestinian peace process by encouraging the group to lend operational support to Hamas and Islamic Jihad...
...week operation in Gaza has thus far failed to yield either the return of Corporal Shalit or an end to Palestinian rocket fire, and Hamas appears to be more popular than ever. The Israelis insist that they must erase the threat to their citizenry by taking down the leadership of Hamas and Hizballah, and that a failure to do so would simply invite further provocations. But the track record suggests that military means may be unable to accomplish that goal, and the militants know this. They are clearly betting they can withstand the Israeli offensive as the civilian casualty toll...
...history suggests is likely, the Israelis can't achieve their objectives militarily, Washington is in a tough position. The escalation threatens not only long-term U.S. goals in Lebanon and the Palestinian territories, but also Washington's ability to secure a consensus over Iran and Iraq. But to the extent that this administration has distinguished itself from predecessors by its reluctance both to impose restraints on Israel and to deal with actors it deems beyond the pale, such as Hamas, Hizballah, Syria and Iran, its ability to quickly contain the crisis may be limited...