CarolC:

"The government of Israel is one of the staunchest supporters of a US attack against Iraq."

I wonder why? Could it possibly have anything to do with the fact that Saddam is Hamas's principal backer? Without Iraq funding that particular group would find it very difficult to function.

Or could it have something to do with the political reality that had planned Palestinian elections been held Hamas would have swept Arafat's PLO into political obscurity. The significant change in that happening would have been that while the PLO have come round to accepting the right of the state of Israel to exist as a start point for negotiation, Hamas refuse point blank to recognise Israel in any way shape or form - which kind of makes any meaningful dialogue difficult if not impossible.