For Israel, Shalit Deal Driven by Domestic Pressures, not Peace Process

The return of Gilad Shalit to Israel in exchange for more than 1,000 Palestinian prisoners this week signaled a cooperation not seen between Israel and Hamas for nearly a decade.

According to Daniel Levy, who co-directs the New America Foundation’s Middle East Task Force in Washington, the deal may well discredit ongoing narratives that it is simply not possible to deal with Hamas. However, says Levy, outside observers should take care not to read too deeply into the swap in the context of the wider conflict between Israel and Palestine.

“I think it says almost nothing -- and almost certainly nothing positive -- about the prospects of progress between Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas,” Levy told Trend Lines this week, particularly since “Abbas doesn’t have the leverage that Hamas has.” ...