During the 2008 Presidential election one of my main concerns about Barack Obama was that he would take a soft line toward the Hamas terrorist gang. And there were reasons to be concerned; to name just a couple, Obama was closely acquainted with several well-known Palestinian advocates in the US, and the leader of his church, Rev. Jeremiah Wright, published a newsletter that can only be described as virulently anti-Israel.

So far, though, I’ve been pleasantly surprised that the President has shown no sign of weakening America’s support for Israel, and no sign of weakening the US refusal to negotiate with Hamas until they recognize Israel’s right to exist.

And a reliable indicator that our policies haven’t hopenchanged: head terrorist Khaled Meshaal is in Russia, whining about it. Hamas leader says U.S. blocking Palestinian unity.

MOSCOW, Feb 8 (Reuters) - Hamas leader Khaled Meshaal on Monday accused the United States of undermining Palestinian unity efforts and said he saw no chance for peace in the Middle East under Israel’s current leadership.

Shunned in the West because his Islamist group refuses to recognise Israel — a position he said stands — Meshaal used a hospitable Russia as a platform to blame Washington and Israel’s hardline government for a lack of progress.

His remarks underscored barriers on the road to Palestinian reconciliation and to renewing Middle East peace talks.

Hamas wants a reconciliation deal with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas’ rival Fatah movement “as fast as possible”, Meshaal told a news conference after meeting Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, who invited him to Moscow.

“Unfortunately, there are a whole series of hurdles to a swift reconciliation, first of all external influence and concerted pressure from the United States,” he said, which he said was using “various means” to scuttle the efforts.

Meshaal did not elaborate, but said portions of an Egyptian-drafted reconciliation deal had been changed without consultation with Hamas and that the group would not sign it unless they were restored.