US envoy's NYT piece about Hamas stirs speculation

President Donald Trump's envoy for the Mideast peace process, Jason Greenblatt, directly addressed Hamas in a New York Times opinion piece, calling on the Palestinian movement to choose peace over violence.
Jason Greenblatt (C), US President Donald Trump's Middle East envoy, is reflected in a mirror as he enters a room to hold a news conference with Israeli Minister of Regional Cooperation and the head of the Palestinian Water Authority, in Jerusalem on July 13, 2017. / AFP PHOTO / POOL / RONEN ZVULUN (Photo credit should read RONEN ZVULUN/AFP/Getty Images)
Jason Greenblatt (C), US President Donald Trump's Middle East envoy, is reflected in a mirror as he enters a room to hold a news conference with Israeli Minister of Regional Cooperation and the head of the Palestinian Water Authority, Jerusalem, July 13, 2017. - RONEN ZVULUN/AFP/Getty Images
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In an opinion piece published April 22 in the New York Times, US special representative for international negotiations Jason Greenblatt wrote about human suffering in the Gaza Strip. The enclave endures long power cuts, shortages of medicine and food, high unemployment and a polluted shoreline.

After Greenblatt blamed Hamas for causing this suffering by being hostile to Israel, he concluded his piece by suggesting two scenarios to help Gaza: Isolate Hamas, or for Hamas to restore peace and stability by halting the violence and recognizing Israel. “Imagine if Hamas chose peace,” he wondered.

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