SOME ARABS HAVE THEIR SAY ON PEACE

It's not all about Israel bashing and blaming the Jews for the lack of progress when it comes to peace in the Middle East.

Here are two views that don't go along with the pack from people who won't be intimidated:-

HAMAS PREFERS WAR AS AN ALTERNATIVE TO PROGRESS - professor of sociology and an Arab/Muslim culture specialist, Dr. Sami Alrabaa:

Once again some of us Arabs are as usual in a big mess. The Islamist extremist group Hamas, which came to power in 2006 through an un-Islamic political process, namely democratic election, has since hijacked Gaza, established its rocket factories in residential areas, in bunkers under mosques, schools and hospitals. Over the past three years, the Hamas jihadis and their affiliates have frequently targeted their Kassam rockets at residential areas in Israel. Even during the ceasefire brokered by Egypt in 2008, Hamas shot their rockets at Israel. On top of all these, Hamas, like the PLO before the Oslo Accords, rejects the existence of Israel, a UN member state. Its ultimate aim is liberating all Palestine, which includes Israel, by wiping out the Jewish state from the world map and possibly by genocidal massacre or deportation of all Jewish people.

PRO-HAMAS MEDIA BIAS AND GAZA ACTIVISTS BLOCK PEACE - Palestinian American columnist, satirist and founder of Yalla Peace, Ray Hanania:

The Arab media are going through an internal struggle no different than the one now dominating Arab and Palestinian politics. It's one between extremists who see the media as an instrument of activism and those of us who believe the media must remain objective witnesses to the truth.

Truth means that not all of today's tragic events can be blamed on Israel, Egypt, Abbas or on the failure, so far, to achieve peace.