Ms. Cobban asks a good question but fails to answer it. In the process, she wrote a fluff-piece for a terrorist group. After reading her article, we still don't know if peace is possible.

Unfortunately, it is the Palestinians themselves who will suffer for the mistake of putting a War Party at the helm of their movement at a time when war isn't practical. Ms. Cobban missed that completely.

Also completely missed is the possible impact of an Iranian nuclear warhead or radiological weapon in the hands of Hamas, and what that would do to the Middle East and the world.

Ms. Cobban looked at a powder keg and told us the staves were nicely made, and the barrel-maker was an okay guy. Thanks a lot.

I think we share a view of the 'situation.' Few can be SURE of anything given the long and difficult road to peace. But I too lived in both Israel, I'm Jewish, but also daily I visted everyone I could meet in Palestine. This was in the 1990's. I come away from those 8 years feeling sorry that Israel is so rough on the Palestinians. I love Israel but I do not love its policies which are more violent, more freqently than is reported in the press. As you know.

If I can have your email, I think we have much to disucss. I just posted, off the top, my take, or one of them on a site in Table Talk caled "No it's my land." Then I read your piece.

I spent those eight years living in West Jerusalem but going daily in Israel to Palestine, working for peace day and night. Now, even some of my most active dialogue friends are now turning away, in despair. I am not, not entirely, and I know many Palestinians intimately. It was quite an inner /outer ordeal to be so immersed in both cultures. I felt torn right up the middle.

In general, I agree with your points. However one or two Hamas men are not enough to draw deep conclusions. I was supposed to return, again as a journalist and peace activist this year. But health issues have put off my work. In addition, I am close to the few peace groups still existing that espouse non-violence and are made up of both ethic groups. I end, very tired, by saying that this is my passion too, and maybe we can meet up when I return in early April at the latest. I was hired to work with berieved parents on both sides. All of them, curiously or not, are desirous of a true peace, because or despite their personal pain.

If you would give your email to Mary Beth, then if I could give you mine, as I think we have much to discuss. My book, "Coming home to Jerusalem" was actually not about myself tho I am at home there as nowhere else. The quote came from a Palestinian shortly after the Oslo Accords and all the hope/ discontent that engendered. The title actually comes from one lovely non-violent Palestinian in Jericho who said way back then in 1993: "I will do everything to make this peace, to meet my neighbors, to get to know Israelis. I hope this is not another trick. If Oslo works, the Hamas will be the first to shave their beards and join the peace process. If in five or ten years, we get no access to East Jerusalem, if we are deprived of COMING HOME TO JERUSALEM, I, a man of peace, will join the Hamas myself."

Perhaps this comment explains why the Hamas won 60% of the vote. People can only take so much humiliation and brute suffering before they get so despairing that they vote for a group so despised by Israel. They want, as you write, to feel some power what the PLO in general did not deliver, being corrupt. But I have read that 70% of Palestinians and maybe 80% of Israelis desperately want to find a way to peace. Too bad we have no great leaders on either side, excepting Abbas, who was not suppported by Israeli's govt. I'm writing you in the middle of the night, so not exactly lucid, but this tiny place somehow became my passion, my greatest hope, and later: my deepest sorrow.

Thanks for your piece! I hope we can connect and share next spring in Jerusalem or Ramallah, Tel Aviv or Nablus which is a way of saying, I would love to meet with you. I'm sure we have more than a few mutual friends.

Best to you in yr next piece, and thanks for the good work, name is not mine, but Mary Beth could connect us. Rare to find a Salon writer with similar interest! And if that doesn't happen, thanks for this!

The reason "Anonymous" is so baffled is she or he won't acknowledge the peculiarity of Israel that makes it incomparable to US and most of Europe. Israel wants to be a "Jewish democracy" but also is expanding onto Arab land. To be the former while doing the latter requires a form of ethnic cleansing on the expropriated land. While granted the Israeli brutality is less severe than Milosevic's (there the European comparison for you!), the intent is the same. If anyone doubts the Israeli brutality, check out the Israel human rights group B'Tselem (btselem.org).

Now if Israel wants to be an inclusive democratic country--which many of the early Zionists advocated after seeing all the Arabs living Palestine and is a position with a sizable following in both Israel and the Palestinians currently--then that would be terrific, and would be comparable to the US expansion. The other option would be for Israel to withdraw to its recognized borders where is can be assured of being majority Jewish. Unfortunately, too many Israelis and their supporters would rather hide behind the victim card while Israel establishes Jewish-only colonies through oppression. Also unfortunately, too many Americans fall for this ruse, so the US ends up giving Israel billions a year, in effect funding the "defense" of Israel's violent expansion.