Britain urged to engage moderate elements in Hamas

[Ibtisam]

The British government should talk to "moderate elements within Hamas" and push for the restoration of a Palestinian national unity government, a parliamentary report will recommend.

 

The report by the Commons foreign affairs select committee argues that western sanctions against Hamas, for its refusal to renounce violence and recognise Israel, have been "counterproductive".

 

However, the MPs believe that Tony Blair's appointment as the special envoy for the diplomatic Quartet (the US, the UN, the EU and Russia) provides an opportunity to open up contacts with the radical Palestinian movement. "We recommend that he engage with Hamas in order to facilitate reconciliation amongst Palestinians," the report says.

 

A Foreign Office spokesman said: "We have made clear that we will respond to significant movement by Hamas. We have not said that we will never talk to Hamas. But there have to be some ground rules."

 

Hamas won a majority in the Palestinian election of January 2006, but the Quartet refused to deal with the Hamas government until it accepted the renunciation of violence, the recognition of Israel and the endorsement of existing Israeli-Palestinian agreements.

 

In March, the Saudi government brokered the creation of a Palestinian unity government in Mecca between Hamas and the Fatah movement of Mahmoud Abbas, the Palestinian president, but that agreement did not include an explicit acceptance of the principles and neither the EU nor the Quartet agreed to end the isolation of Hamas. The unity government collapsed in June after factional street fighting, leaving Hamas in control of Gaza and Fatah in charge of the West Bank. "In the Mecca agreement, Hamas moved a very long way," Mike Gapes, the foreign affairs committee chairman said yesterday. "It was an opportunity that was missed. Without engaging with Hamas in some form you're not going to get a two-state solution that involves Gaza."

 

Today's report argues that isolation has strengthened the hand of the most extreme wing of Hamas and weakened pragmatists, a process that could be reversed by contacts aimed at persuading the leadership to abide by the principles.

 

Meanwhile, Palestinian officials said there would be a new round of talks between the Palestinian prime minister, Salam Fayyad, and the Israeli foreign minister, Tzipi Livni, in Jericho on Wednesday.

 

Source: guardian.co.uk

[Jacaylbaro]

modern elements in Hamas ...... the same they were saying the moderate ICU in Somalia sow maaha ??

 

 

Cajiiiiiiiib ! ! ! !

[Sharmarkee]

"Today's report argues that isolation has strengthened the hand of the most extreme wing of Hamas and weakened pragmatists, a process that could be reversed by contacts aimed at persuading the leadership to abide by the principles",

 

Its too late now, isrealis and the west played tricks, dismiss the democracy when Hamas won the landslide victory, they didnt liked that though, but loved to see Hamas to bow down, laydown the weapons and kiss their boots, and reconigize isreali without any benefits or land. now Hamas are now in a more strong position, with HuzbuAllh, Iran and syria they are a strong front against the aggressions of isreal, as Hassan Nasrallah said, the coming war will be the end of all wars, means Isreal and Usa will use all they got of Wof MD, and Huzbuallh will use too all they got of missles to destory their enemey, as Isreal already got their share of death package from USA right now as we speaking.

[Ibtisam]

Hamas expressed readiness on Monday to open dialogue with the West after calls by Italy's prime minister for it to do so.

 

Romano Prodi suggested in an address that Hamas' existence was a fact and that the group must be integrated into the political process rather than excluded.

 

Hamas spokesman Sami Abu Zuhri responded by saying "Prodi's statements coincide with other positive European officials' statements."

 

Zuhri noted that several British parliamentarians had criticized London's negative position on Hamas.

 

"Such positive stances came after Europe and the West realized how fatal their mistake was when they decided to boycott the movement," said Zuhri.

 

Hamas took control of the Gaza Strip in mid June when it defeated Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas' Fatah movement and security forces.

 

"We hope that the calls to launch a dialogue with Hamas would find an echo and would lead to fruitful results," said Zuhri. "We reiterate our concerns and readiness for an opened dialogue with the West."

 

Source: haaretz.com