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Hamas Is Not Like the IRA

[Ha'aretz ] Cnaan Liphshiz - In response to frequent references to Northern Ireland as a model for peace in the Middle East, two British researchers last week released an analysis of the conflicts in which they reject the comparison and warn against turning dialogue without preconditions into a "fetish." Drs. John Bew and Martyn Frampton argue that the analogy between Northern Ireland and other conflicts is "often more focused on contemporary agendas than on the core realities unique to the region, which do not necessarily translate elsewhere." The authors contrast the IRA's failure to dominate internal rivals with Hamas' triumph over Fatah. They argue that while the IRA's talks with London followed a decline in the Irish Republicans' power, Hamas sees itself as "riding the crest of a wave."
2008-08-01 01:00:00
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