Hamas has proposed a ten-year truce with Israel. Continued peace–peace that could extend beyond one decade–is apparently too much of a commitment for the Palestinian terrorist group. Ten years. I imagine Khaled Mashaal thought that this was a rather nice number. A rounded number. A short time for peace to sink in–certainly not long enough for a viable two-state solution to become solidified. Without a doubt, not long enough for any sort of reconciliation to occur between the Palestinians and the Israelis, or should I say between the Arabs and the Jews.

Ten years isn’t really long enough for any sort of real peace to manifest. It sounds rather like a very long cease-fire. As with all cease-fires, however, what lays in wait at the end of the line is a fire. When the cease ceases to exist, all that’s left is a conflagration. That seems to be the meat of this so-called truce offer, which is so obviously flawed that Mr. Jimmy Carter should be hanging his head in shame and embarrassment right now for ever lending credence to the Hamas movement. Carter seems completely oblivious to the outrageous demands of the militants, and suspiciously optimistic about chances to negotiate with these killers and kidnappers.

Nevertheless, Hamas has made an offer. This is something. Even if it is just a ploy to buy time and re-arm, at least it is something, right? Even if ten years would only serve to make Hamas stronger and more capable of attacking Israel with real force, at least there is some motion, some budging of the proverbial tectonic plates.

It is important to note, however, that nobody in their right mind would accept a peace agreement from a group who refuses their enemy’s very right to exist.

Ten years. Hamas, even though “at peace” with Israel would still refuse to acknowledge Israel’s very right to exist. More than likely, terrorism from other groups would continue, unchecked, the entire time.

Here is one scenario: Hamas and Israel make “peace” and Hamas promises not to attack Israel if Israel withdraws from the West Bank. Then another terrorist group emerges as the “new” Hamas. Perhaps Islamic Jihad will take the reigns. Perhaps some other fringe movement will rise up to replace the now “legitimate” Hamas–sort of a replay of what Hamas did when Fatah became a recognized political group, when Arafat was suddenly not a terrorist anymore but a statesman.

This group will blow themselves up in an Israeli cafe, or a Jerusalem bus, or will start hurling makeshift rockets into Israeli cities. They will complain of human rights violations, of Israeli occupation, regardless of the fact that Israel at this time will have withdrawn from all so-called “occupied” lands. They will do this and Hamas will not stop them. Likely, they will be funded by some outside government–probably the same government or governments that will fund the armament of Hamas who now will operate without Israeli supervision of any kind.

So Israel will retaliate, and has always been the case, the world will condemn them for it, casting their act of self defense as an atrocity. People from countries around the world who are not (and probably never have been) under constant attack will chastise and berate the Israeli actions. Hamas will have the high moral ground, since they didn’t carry out the attack–all the while rearming, not doing the dirty work, building up international support, and plotting what their charter has always said they would carry out: the utter destruction of Israel.

Is this the peace we want for the region? Is this even, in any sense, peace? It’s like one kid saying to another, if you look away, take your guard down, I won’t hit you for ten minutes. For ten minutes you’re good to go, no fist, no sucker-punch.

And then?