Sunday, November 12, 2006
Hamas's Al-Zahar: We'll never recognize Israel
Palestinian Foreign Minister and Hamas leader Mahmoud al-Zahar told al-Sharq al-Awsat newspaper on Sunday that his group will never "repeat Fatah's mistake of recognizing Israel ."
In a militant interview, which was conducted soon after the IDF's shelling of Beit Hanoun, al-Zahar explained why his group has no intension of recognizing Israel, accept a two-state solution and to accept the partition resolution adopted by the United Nations.
When asked what will happen if international pressure on Hamas increases, he said: "Hamas will never change its position regardless of the pressure's intensity."
He was asked about the Arab peace initiative which calls for recognition of Israel based on the principle of land for peace and said: "We will never recognize the Arab initiative. We ask what is its real value? And the answer is: nothing, because America and Israel rejected it. Also, we will not accept something called 'recognizing Israel'."
Even if the solution is one of two states?
"We can establish a Palestinian state on a foot of land of the liberated land."
And if there is solution that include the establishment of a Palestinian within the 1967, with Jerusalem as its capital?
"We will declare a hudna but we will never recognize Israel."...
...He added that Hamas rejects the United Nations partition of November 1947 as well as Resolution 242...
In case you actually thought for a moment (I know you didn't) that it matters what individual is in leadership:
...He said that Hamas is not solely ruled by Khaled Mashaal, adding that the leadership in the Gaza Strip and else where have as much say...
...On another front he confirmed that Iran financially supports the Hamas government: "We use the money to pay employees, but we do not get military aid from them, because it simply cannot reach us."
He said should presidential elections be held Hamas would win hands-up: "If presidential elections are held, Hamas will win and that's clear, and that is because when we call for marches many people answer our call. That's no joke, but reality. If we ask the Palestinian people, 'Do you accept recognition of Israel?' and our political plan was always that we won't, at least 70 percent of the Palestinian people would say, 'We will not recognize Israel.'"...
