Sunday
Jun072009
After the Obama Speech: Hamas Asks, "Is He Ready to Walk the Way He Talks?"
Sunday, June 7, 2009 at 10:26
Latest Post: Jerusalem - Obama the Pragmatist Puts A Challenge to Israel
Related Post: After the Obama Speech - Israel Re-Positions on Settlements, Two-State Solution
Perhaps the most striking response to President Obama's speech is coming from Hamas officials, who are cautiously signalling that they are ready for discussions. Just after the speech, Hamas political director Khaled Meshaal told Inter Press Service, "The speech was cleverly written in the way it addressed the Muslim world... and in the way it showed respect to the Muslim heritage. But I think it's not enough. What's needed are deeds, actions on the ground, and a change of policies."
Meshaal's comments were echoed the next day by Ahmed Yousef, a senior adviser to Gazan Prime Minister Ismail Haniya. Yousef told CNN the address was "excellent", then added, "[Is Obama] ready to walk the way he talks?" Calling the speech "historical" with its "wonderful words", Yousef put the specific challenge that Obama did not offer any comment on the Israeli sanctions against Gaza.
Meshaal made it that he was ready to meet Obama's envoy George Mitchell, who arrives in the region on Tuesday, ""If Mitchell wants to meet me, we’ll welcome him with a cup of fine tea." At the same time, he called for such talks to be held without preconditions, including Obama's demands on Thursday that Hamas recognise Israel and adhere to 2005 agreements with the Palestinian Authority: "Why is Obama ready to deal with Iran without preconditions, but not us?....Under no circumstances will preconditions be acceptable to us."
Instead, Hamas is staking out the position that its recognition of Israel is linked to Israel's recognition of Palestine and acceptance of pre-1967 borders. Yousef told CNN: ""When we have our own state, a free and independent Palestinian state, then we can talk about this issue of recognition. ... It's too early to talk about recognition while we are suffering for the last 60 years from the occupation."
Related Post: After the Obama Speech - Israel Re-Positions on Settlements, Two-State Solution
Perhaps the most striking response to President Obama's speech is coming from Hamas officials, who are cautiously signalling that they are ready for discussions. Just after the speech, Hamas political director Khaled Meshaal told Inter Press Service, "The speech was cleverly written in the way it addressed the Muslim world... and in the way it showed respect to the Muslim heritage. But I think it's not enough. What's needed are deeds, actions on the ground, and a change of policies."
Meshaal's comments were echoed the next day by Ahmed Yousef, a senior adviser to Gazan Prime Minister Ismail Haniya. Yousef told CNN the address was "excellent", then added, "[Is Obama] ready to walk the way he talks?" Calling the speech "historical" with its "wonderful words", Yousef put the specific challenge that Obama did not offer any comment on the Israeli sanctions against Gaza.
Meshaal made it that he was ready to meet Obama's envoy George Mitchell, who arrives in the region on Tuesday, ""If Mitchell wants to meet me, we’ll welcome him with a cup of fine tea." At the same time, he called for such talks to be held without preconditions, including Obama's demands on Thursday that Hamas recognise Israel and adhere to 2005 agreements with the Palestinian Authority: "Why is Obama ready to deal with Iran without preconditions, but not us?....Under no circumstances will preconditions be acceptable to us."
Instead, Hamas is staking out the position that its recognition of Israel is linked to Israel's recognition of Palestine and acceptance of pre-1967 borders. Yousef told CNN: ""When we have our own state, a free and independent Palestinian state, then we can talk about this issue of recognition. ... It's too early to talk about recognition while we are suffering for the last 60 years from the occupation."