Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, in her visit to Israel and the West Bank this week, pushed for the resumption of final status negotiations, apparently convincing Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas to renew these talks. However, the Bush Administration's approach - based on a dogmatic policy of boycotting Hamas and blockading Gaza - jeopardizes the viability of these very talks, and gives Hamas every incentive to play the spoiler.

In the present context, both Israeli leaders and Palestinian Authority President Abbas have little credibility with their publics as they pursue peace talks, which are widely viewed with skepticism or disdain.

The government of Israel has the right - indeed, the obligation - to take measures to bring rocket attacks to a halt, as well as to seek to free its captured soldier Gilad Shalit. Yet, while IDF military operations might achieve short-term tactical gains in Gaza, they cannot destroy popular support for Hamas or stop future rockets from falling.

Any realistic, sustainable resolution to this crisis requires Israel and Hamas to engage, directly or indirectly, to achieve a ceasefire. Such an approach has been embraced by key Israeli security figures, including former Shin Bet chief Ami Ayalon, former Mossad chief Ephraim Halevy, and former defense minister Shaul Mofaz. While a ceasefire cannot be an end in itself, it can halt violence and chaos in the immediate term, creating the space to facilitate improvements in the humanitarian situation, stabilize the political situation, and get the process of negotiations back on track to achieve a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

Please call on the Bush Administration to support efforts to reach a ceasefire, stabilize Gaza, and re-build Palestinian national unity. The current approach must be replaced with a pragmatic policy incorporating support for strategic, self-interested engagement between Israel and Hamas, either through direct contacts or via third parties. Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has offered to mediate such an agreement; his offer deserves serious consideration.

Tell President Bush that it is time for his Administration to change course so that the peace process he renewed at Annapolis has a chance to succeed.

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