 | Fred's hair has hinted at growing back one day, too. |
The militant Islamic group Hamas could one day accept the existence of the state of Israel and negotiate, one of its political leaders said yesterday in an unprecedented sign of compromise. | Okay, now read this article and someone point out any iota of compromise on the part of Hamas. This Scotsman reporter oughta go look up gullible in the dictionary. |
For years, Hamas has criticised the ruling Fatah movement of the Palestinian Authority president, Mahmoud Abbas, for allegedly selling out claims to all of historic Palestine by recognising Israel and confining the Palestinian struggle to the West Bank and Gaza Strip areas occupied in the 1967 Middle East war. But Mohammed Ghazal, a respected figure within the movement from the West Bank city of Nablus, said yesterday: "The [Hamas] charter is not the Koran. Historically, we believe all of Palestine belongs to the Palestinians, but we're talking now about reality, about political solutions. The realities are different." | Okay, so the 'respected' (by whom?) spokescritter talks about political solutions. Coincidentally, |
Hamas is about to join the Palestinian Authority's political system by participating in January's legislative elections. Mr Ghazal is believed to be intent on projecting a more moderate image for the movement as it comes under international scrutiny in advance of the legislative elections and faces mounting pressure to disarm. The movement has made it clear it will not disarm its military wing, responsible for dozens of suicide bombings against civilian and military targets, even after the election. | "Compromise our weapons? Never!" |
Analysts differed over whether Mr Ghazal's comments suggested Hamas might take a more moderate approach. | Yes please, let's check with the analysts...since nobody is capable of coming to any conclusions without their keen insights. |
Mr Ghazal's remarks were described as "unusual" and "a new language" by Ziyad Abu Amr, a Palestinian MP who is also an expert on the movement. But they elicited cool reactions from other leading figures within Hamas and from Israel.| It's probably the only area in which Israel agrees with Hamas...that Hamas will never accept Israel in any shape or form, and that any attempt to paper over this fact is either willfully ignorant, or actively working to bring about Hamas' aims. |
Hamas is considered a terrorist group by the European Union and the United States, but its political potency became clear when it scored well against Fatah in municipal elections earlier this year. Amid dissatisfaction with continued occupation in the West Bank, security chaos and perceived corruption in the Palestinian Authority, Hamas is expected to make another major advance in the legislative elections. | Hamas also generates great organizational charisma in the form of armed henchmen. |
Mr Ghazal said it was still too early to talk about recognising Israel "while Israel does not recognise me as the victim". | Always with the victimology. Victim, victim, victim. No compromise here. |
He said any Hamas talks with Israel would still depend on its withdrawing from the West Bank and East Jerusalem and a "right of return" for Palestinian refugees. | No compromise here either. |
"The Israelis should reach that stage when they feel they should negotiate with us and at that time I don't think there will be a problem of negotiating with the Israelis," he said. The Hamas charter, drafted in 1988, says that "the land of Palestine is an Islamic trust upon all Muslim generations till the day of the Resurrection. It is not right to give it up nor any part of it." It also specifies that jihad, a term that in this context means holy war, is the only solution to the Palestinian problem. | So, exactly which parts of this charter are up for discussion, Mr. Ghazal? |
In Gaza, Hamas leader Mahmoud Zahar yesterday took issue with Mr Ghazal's statements, saying Israel "cannot be recognised as the legal owner of any part of Palestine". Hamas leaders have thus far rejected calls by Mr Abbas's aides that they disarm after the balloting, saying the movement will retain its weapons as long as there is Israeli occupation. | Hmmm. Hamas leadership doesn't seem very compromisational, here. But hey. There's always tomorrow! |
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