Sound The Trumpet : Hamas not even asked to recognize Israel

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“Hamas not even asked to recognize Israel”
by WND - Aaron Klein
July 10th, 2009

Terrorist group still allowed to join U.S.-backed government

TEL AVIV – Hamas does not need to recognize Israel's existence as a precondition for joining a Palestinian unity government, a top member of the Palestinian Authority's negotiating team told WND.

"We are not demanding Hamas recognize the state of Israel. It's not even part of the talks. Even we as the Fatah movement didn't recognize the state of Israel," said the PA negotiator, speaking on condition of anonymity.

The negotiator is leading efforts to forge a unity government between Hamas and PA President Mahmoud Abbas' Fatah party. The two have been at odds since Hamas seized control of the Gaza Strip from Fatah in the summer of 2007. The unity efforts could result in new Palestinian elections as early as January and would bring Hamas into the U.S.-backed and funded PA.

Fatah is considered moderate by Israeli and U.S. policy. However, contrary to popular perception, Fatah has never officially recognized Israel as a Jewish state or even as a country with the right to exist.

In 1994, the Palestine Liberation Organization, or PLO, signed what was known as the "recognition principals" in which it formally agreed to recognize Israel. Fatah is the largest faction of the PLO, and as such, is thought to be party to the recognition agreement.

Fatah as a party, however, never officially declared it recognized the Jewish state. The last time the Fatah party held its official congress – in which it amended its charter – was in 1989. At that time, Fatah declared jihad on Israel and called for the Jewish state's destruction.

PLO Leader Yasser Arafat later made a statement to the French media in which he claimed the portion of Fatah's charter calling for the destruction of Israel was null and void, but the terms were never officially nullified. According to Fatah bylaws, the group's charter can only be changed by vote during an official Fatah congress session.

Carter helping Hamas open talks

The recognition of Israel is a precondition for engaging in dialogue with the U.S., according to conditions previously outlined by the White House and State Department.

Top Hamas officials, however, recently told WND that former President Jimmy Carter presented Hamas with a written initiative intended to open talks between the Islamic terrorist group and the U.S. without Hamas having to recognize Israel.

Carter two weeks ago handed Hamas a letter "that aims to open dialogue between Hamas and U.S.," Mushir al-Masri, a member of Hamas' parliament and a spokesman for the group, told WND.

Two top Hamas sources told WND Carter's initiative asks Hamas to recognize the so-called two-state solution as well as the Arab Peace Initiative but doesn't mention recognition of Israel. The initiative bypasses U.S. conditions.

Those conditions, expressed twice by Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, are Hamas' renouncement of violence, recognition of Israel and agreement to abide by previous PLO commitments. The conditions were adopted by the Mideast Quartet, which consists of the U.S., United Nations, Russia and the European Union.

Al-Masri said Hamas was studying Carter's plan.

"In any response to Carter, we will reject the conditions of the Quartet, specifically the recognition of Israel," al-Masri said.

Hamas' chief political adviser in Gaza Ahmed Yousef echoed that sentiment in a conversation with WND.

Looking for His glorious appearing! Titus 2:13