Khaled Meshaal Since Hamas leader Khaled Meshaal's interview
with the New York Times last month, some analysts have
sugggested that Hamas is becoming more pragmatic.  This new
report from the United States Institute for Peace (USIP), which
describes itself as a "nonpartisan, US Congress established and
funded organization", seems well timed then.  The report -
titled "Hamas: Ideological Rigidity and Political Flexibility" -
explores the idea that Hamas might be influenced in
negotiations by using an "Islamic point of view".  The report
suggests that "it is not inevitable that Hamas will accept
coexistence" but that "acceptance [of Israel] is more likely if
it is framed within its Islamic ideology."  The report's authors
- Paul Scham and Osama Abu-Isrhad, Jewish and Muslim
respectively - say they have different ideological backgrounds,
but agree that negotiations are possible with Hamas if
participants are willing to work around Hamas' religious
rhetoric, which will not change: "Although Hamas, as an Islamic
o