http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,215137,00.html
Hamas Prime Minister Won't Head Gov't That Recognizes Israel
Friday , September 22, 2006
GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip - Palestinian Prime Minister
<javascript:siteSearch('Ismail%20Haniyeh');> Ismail Haniyeh of
<javascript:siteSearch('Hamas');> Hamas said Friday he will not head a
government that recognizes Israel, striking a potential blow to President
<javascript:siteSearch('Mahmoud%20Abbas');> Mahmoud Abbas' attempts to
create a national unity government.
Haniyeh spoke a day after Abbas indicated at the
<javascript:siteSearch('United%20Nations');> United Nations that a coalition
government of Hamas and Abbas' Fatah movement would recognize the Jewish
state.
. <http://www.countrywatch.com/fox/country.asp?vCOUNTRY=83> CountryWatch:
Israel
"I personally will not head any government that recognizes Israel," Haniyeh
said in a mosque sermon in <javascript:siteSearch('Gaza%20City');> Gaza
City, laying out his group's position in coalition talks with Abbas.
However, Haniyeh said Hamas is ready to establish a Palestinian state in the
West Bank, Gaza and east Jerusalem - areas Israel captured in the 1967
Mideast War - and to honor a long-term truce with Israel.
"We support establishing a Palestinian state in the land of 1967 at this
stage, but in return for a cease-fire, not recognition," Haniyeh said.
Abbas was still in New York and couldn't be immediately reached for comment
on Haniyeh's remarks. A close adviser, Nabil Amr, clarified that the
Palestinian president would not ask Hamas to explicitly recognize Israel,
but to abide by
<javascript:siteSearch('Palestine%20Liberation%20Organization');> Palestine
Liberation Organization agreements that recognize the Jewish state.
"We expect Hamas to agree to this," Amr said.
Hamas, which swept Palestinian parliamentary elections in January, currently
rules alone. But Abbas, elected separately last year, has been toiling for
months to broaden the government in the hope of easing crushing
international sanctions imposed on the Hamas-led government to force it to
soften its violent anti-Israel ideology.
Last week, the two sides announced they would govern together, and strive to
establish a Palestinian state alongside Israel - an objective that implies
recognition of the Jewish state.
But coalition talks have faltered because the West and Israel have balked at
restoring hundreds of millions of dollars in funding until Hamas clearly
states its willingness to recognize Israel, renounce violence and accept
existing peace agreements between Israel and the Palestinians.
Israeli government spokeswoman Miri Eisin reiterated Israel's demand that
any Palestinian government yield to the demands the international community
has imposed.
Abbas told a U.N. forum Thursday that the national unity government would
commit to all past agreements between the Palestinians and Israel, including
letters exchanged by the two sides in 1993 that call for mutual recognition
and the renunciation of violence.
Officials from both Fatah and Hamas said privately that it wasn't clear
whether Abbas' speech was meant to solicit international support for the
planned government, or a new condition to forming a coalition with Hamas.
In deciding to form a coalition with Fatah, Hamas had agreed to "respect"
past agreements, but didn't commit to them, calling into question Abbas'
ability to maneuver in any future peacemaking. Hamas is afraid that
committing to past agreements would be tantamount to recognizing Israel,
which it is sworn to destroy.
Earlier Friday, Haniyeh's political adviser, Ahmed Yousef, said instead of
recognizing Israel, Hamas was prepared to agree to a "long-term truce for
five or 10 years, until the occupation withdraws."
In the past, Hamas has offered a long-term truce in exchange for an Israeli
commitment to withdraw from all of the West Bank and east Jerusalem,
captured in the 1967 Mideast war. Israel rejects that demand.
Yousef said renouncing violence was a clause of the agreement underlying the
planned coalition government. He was unclear on what Hamas would do if
coalition talks break down.
A spokesman for the Hamas-led government, Ghazi Hamad, said the group would
ask Abbas to clarify his remarks after he returns from his trip.
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