GAZA: Before Wednesday's Palestinian elections, Hamas leader says third party talks with Israel not taboo

Record ID: 398354

  • Title: GAZA: Before Wednesday's Palestinian elections, Hamas leader says third party talks with Israel not taboo
  • Date: 24th January 2006
  • Summary: (EU) GAZA CITY, GAZA STRIP (JANUARY 23, 2006) (REUTERS) HAMAS LEADER MAHMOUD AL-ZAHAR ADDRESSING MEDIA AT CAMPAIGN EVENT (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) HAMAS LEADER MAHMOUD AL-ZAHAR SAYING: "Negotiations are a means. If Israel has anything to offer on the issues of halting attacks, withdrawal, releasing prisoners, in the issue of alleviating the crimes, especially economic crimes,
  • Embargoed: 8th February 2006 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Topics: Domestic Politics
  • Reuters ID: LVAAMK5M1E3OHMGLTGDNY5B23GV7
  • Story Text: Hamas on Monday (January 23, 2006) raised the possibility of future negotiations with Israel through a third party, an apparent softening of the militant group's stance before this week's Palestinian elections.
    Hamas had previously rejected any talks with the Jewish state.
    "Negotiations are a means. If Israel has anything to offer on the issues of halting attacks, withdrawal, releasing prisoners, in the issue of alleviating the crimes, especially economic crimes, then one thousand means can be found such as how Hizbollah freed Lebanese prisoners from Israel," senior Hamas leader Mahmoud al-Zahar told reporters.
    As an example, he cited contacts that the Lebanese militant group Hizbollah held with Israel, via German mediators, for the release of Lebanese held in Israeli jails.
    "Negotiation is not a taboo," Zahar said. "But the political crime is when we sit with the Israelis and then come out with a wide smile to tell the Palestinian people that there is progress, when in fact, there is not." As Al-Zahar addressed the media, some 25,000 Hamas supporters gathered in Gaza City to take part in a final campaign rally before crucial Palestinian legislative elections on Wednesday (January 25) in which Hamas is running for the first time.
    The Islamic group, popular among Palestinians for suicide bombings, its anti-corruption stand and charity work, is expected to make a strong showing.
    Most opinion polls show Hamas trailing Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas's Fatah movement, but the margin has narrowed to a few percentage points.
    The election could catapult the movement into its first role in Palestinian government.
    Israel refuses to negotiate with Hamas and says the group must disarm and abandon a charter calling for the destruction of the Jewish state.
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