Israel Matzav

Zahar: Hamas will accept state on '67 borders... for now

Hamas foreign minister Mahmoud Zahar says his organization will accept a 'Palestinian state' based on the 1967 borders... for now (Hat Tip: Stephen D).

Hamas would accept a Palestinian state "on any part of Palestine," he said in an interview with Palestinian news agency Ma'an. Hamas has previously said it is willing to temporarily accept a Palestinian state in the West Bank and Gaza. The ultimate goal, however, would be a state of "Palestine in its entirety," Hamas leader Khaled Mashaal told Charlie Rose last year.

At the same time, Zahar said that Hamas would not recognize Israel, because doing so would "cancel the right of the next generation to liberate the land." He added that recognition of Israel could lead to Palestinian refugees losing their right of return.

"What will be the fate of the five million Palestinians in the diaspora?" Zahar asked.

The Hamas leader told the Palestinian news agency that his faction's unity deal with Fatah, which included maintaining a ceasefire with Israel is "part of the resistance, not a cancellation." He added that "a truce is not peace."

And they actually believe that we would agree to this?

But what may be the best part is Zahar's explanation for why Abu Bluff isn't going to be visiting Gaza anytime soon.

Zahar also said that Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas will not visit Gaza soon. One of the reasons, he said, is that he can not guarantee that "Israel will not send its infiltrators to shoot Abbas" or that some Palestinians may "come out and throw rocks at him."

What could go wrong?

posted by Carl in Jerusalem @ 7:11 AM