Haaretz
Shvat 28, 5766
Hamas' candidate for Palestinian Authority prime
minister, Ismail Haniyeh, told the Washington Post that Hamas will examine
all of the agreements signed with Israel, and will honor those that are in
the best interest of the Palestinians.
Haniyeh's comments, made in
an interview with the Washington daily, will be published in full on
Sunday.
Haniyeh, seen as a leader of the more pragmatic wing of
Hamas, also told the interviewer Hamas would honor agreements that
guarantee the establishment of a Palestinian state within the 1967
borders, with Jerusalem as its capital, and those that pledge the release
of Palestinian prisoners.
When asked if Hamas would be willing to
recognize Israel should it agree to withdraw to the 1967 borders, Haniyeh
told the Washingon Post that Hamas would agree to a peace deal in stages,
the first of which would call for stability and longterm ceasefire. He
also said, "We have no hostile feelings toward Jews and we don't want to
throw them into the sea. All we want is to get our land back and not to
hurt anyone."
U.S.: Humanitarian aid to Palestinians won't be
cut
United States State Department official David Welch promised
Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas on Saturday that the United
States will not cut off humanitarian aid to the Palestinians, even after a
Hamas government takes over.
During the first high-level meeting
between the two sides since the election victory of the Islamic militant
group last month, Welch assured Abbas that the United States supports the
chairman and his policies, and praised his speech during the opening
Palestinian parliament session earlier this month, according Israel Radio
reported.
"The United States has long been a supporter of the
Palestinian people, through a substantial contribution of our foreign
assistance funds... we continue to be devoted to the humanitarian needs of
the Palestinian people and it shall remain so," Welch said.
"It is
our belief that it is important for the people in the Palestinian
territories ... to have a good life in safety and security with economic
wellbeing," Welch added.
Welch is to meet Sunday with Acting Prime
Minister Ehud Olmert, Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni and Defense Minister
Shaul Mofaz.
Chief Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat said that
Abbas told Welch the United States must respect the Palestinians' election
of Hamas last month. He noted that tens of millions of dollars in U.S. aid
flow directly into infrastructure projects every year, not to the
Palestinian government, which by next month will be controlled by
Hamas.
"We urged the U.S. administration to continue helping the
Palestinian people, as it did in previous years," Erekat said after the
meeting. "They have never transferred a single dollar to the Palestinian
Authority directly. The money was being transferred via non-governmental
organizations."
The United States and the European Union consider
Hamas a terror organization and have said they would not fund a government
led by the militants.
Abbas urges Israel, world to stop
pressuring Hamas
Abbas urged Israel and the international community
to avoid pushing Hamas "into a corner", and to give it time to moderate
its stances, the Irish Independent reported Saturday on its Website.
Abbas made the comments in an interview to ITV's Jonathan Dimbleby
that will be aired Sunday.
Abbas said that Hamas would make its
position in power "compatible with international policies," and praised
the faction's "wise and rational" Prime Minister designate Ismail Haniyeh
as "flexible and diplomatic."
"They will listen to many things
that will make them think about their political position. I think that in
order to assume responsibility, their policies have to be compatible with
international policies," Abbas said.
He added that Hamas' tour of
Arab states and Russia is likely to be influential in persuading Hamas to
renounce violence and recognize Israel.
When asked if he will
resign from power if he can't deliver what he wants in terms of the peace
process, Abbas replied: "We could reach a point where I cannot perform my
duty - then I will not continue sitting in this place, against and in
spite of my convictions. If I can do something I will continue, otherwise
I won't."
Abbas told Israel's Channel 10 TV on Friday that Hamas
was trying to halt rocket fire on Israel and is trying to calm Palestinian
streets.
Bush reiterates that if Hamas wants aid it must
recognize Israel
U.S. President George W. Bush said Friday that
Hamas must decide whether it wants the help of the international community
to build an independent state.
"The leaders of Hamas have a choice
to make. If they want the help of America and the international community
to build a prosperous, independent Palestinian state, they must recognize
Israel, disarm, reject terrorism and work for lasting peace.
"The
international community must continue to make clear to Hamas that
democratically elected leaders cannot have one foot in the camp of
democracy and one foot in the camp of terror. The world is waiting to see
what choice Hamas makes" Bush said in an address to the American Legion in
Washington D.C.
UN lobbies for Palestinian aid
The United
Nations is urging donors to provide funds to keep the Palestinian
Authority running after Israel starts withholding tax revenues next week,
rebuffing Israel's appeal for a suspension of aid, diplomats said on
Friday.
Meanwhile, the European Union is expected to approve
the release of around $107,000 next week to help PA Chairman Mahmoud
Abbas' caretaker administration.
The UN stand has put a spotlight
on disagreements over Israeli and Western efforts to put pressure on a
Hamas-led Palestinian government to renounce violence, recognize Israel
and abide by interim peace deals with it.
The UN's special envoy to
the Middle East, Alvaro de Soto, will brief the Security Council on
Tuesday on his talks in the region, aides said. He has expressed concern
in recent days that an aid cut-off could lead to the collapse of the
cash-strapped Palestinian Authority.
"We are advocating that the
(Palestinian Authority) institutions should not be starved of funds to the
point where they collapse," said a diplomatic source who spoke on
condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the matter.
Israel argues that a 2001 Security Council resolution obliging
member states to cut off funds to "terrorist" groups applies to the
Palestinian Authority starting on February 18, when Hamas was sworn in as
the majority bloc in the parliament.
De Soto countered that
Israel's decision to withhold the tax money it collects on behalf of the
Palestinian Authority ran counter to the position taken last month by the
Quartet of major peace mediators - the United States, the European Union,
the United Nations and Russia.