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Israel-Palestine
Hamas will accept Palestinian state in West Bank, Gaza
2004-12-04
In an apparent change in longstanding policy, a top Hamas leader said on Friday the militant group would accept the establishment of a Palestinian state in the West Bank and Gaza Strip as well as a long-term truce with Israel. "Hamas has announced that it accepts a Palestinian independent state within the 1967 borders with a long-term truce," Sheikh Hassan Yousef, the top Hamas leader in the West Bank, told The Associated Press, referring to lands Israel captured in the 1967 Mideast war. Yousef said the Hamas position was new and called it a 'stage'. In the past, Hamas has said it would accept a state in the 1967 borders as a first step to taking over Israel. Yousef did not spell out the conditions for the renewable ceasefire nor did he say how long it would last. "For us a truce means that two warring parties live side by side in peace and security for a certain period and this period is eligible for renewal," Yousef said. "That means Hamas accepts that the other party will live in security and peace". Yousef's comments indicated that four years of fighting with Israel — during which the military has targeted the group's top leaders — along with international sanctions have taken a toll.
Posted by:Fred

#13  That cake needs some additional baking. I suggest napalm, in large quantities.
Posted by: Old Patriot   2004-12-04 4:16:36 PM  

#12  If they are stronger, negotiate. Offer them anything --- Allah will absolve you.
Posted by: gromgorru   2004-12-04 2:53:05 PM  

#11  This is a culture that haggles. If they accept a slice, then they only accept it as an intermediate position before grabbing the whole cake. Hamas has clearly stated for years that they really want the whole cake.
Posted by: Tom   2004-12-04 2:17:35 PM  

#10  Anyone else get a sense that Hamas is merely preening itself to assume the same sort of corrupt and dead-end political control that Arafat recently had pried out of his cold, dead, rigormortised hands?
Posted by: Zenster   2004-12-04 1:48:02 PM  

#9  Islamists ONLY take a Rest or have a TRUCE when they are losing. Lying is REQUIRED of all Islamists. There is NOT NOW, there HAS NEVER been and there NEVER WILL BE an Islamic agreement, or an Islamist that can be or will be trusted. They are required to lie to you until they can kill you.

That is the basis of the Koran. Therefore, we in the Western world shall take the rest periods to grow stronger also. The next time they attack us, Good Bye.
Posted by: leaddog2   2004-12-04 1:30:50 PM  

#8  Another offer hudna as if they are doing the Israelis a favor. A hudna so can go hide with their tail between their legs, lick their wounds, rearm, and start the genocide all over again. I truly doubt there exists a word or concept in the Muslim world for what the rest of the world calls "peace", living without conflict, secure as general equals. If the Israelis have any sense of self preservation, they should deport the Palestinians past the Jordan river and the Egypt border.
Posted by: ed   2004-12-04 12:10:11 PM  

#7  "please stop the helizapping while we rearm!"
Posted by: Frank G   2004-12-04 8:47:31 AM  

#6  Is that a cake? - Posted by: Fred -
yummy I hope so , cake solves most of my problems , wonder if it will help the Paloes

VOTE FOR CAKE !!
Posted by: MacNails   2004-12-04 8:26:00 AM  

#5  So Hamas wants to declar a hudna. Yawn. That's a sure sign that it's time for Israel to turn up the heat and do some real damage to the organization.
Posted by: AzCat   2004-12-04 5:53:53 AM  

#4  In an apparent change in longstanding policy, a top Hamas leader said on Friday the militant group would accept the establishment of a Palestinian state in the West Bank and Gaza Strip as well as a long-term truce with Israel.

Eh??? What about Israel? Does Israel have a right to exist or not?

And a "truce"? I seem to remember that a truce is basically only a temporary thing. What about permanent cessation of hostilities?

Nothing new being served up here, as far as I can tell.
Posted by: Bomb-a-rama   2004-12-04 1:35:29 AM  

#3  Ah, yes. International sanctions. I'm sure that has Hamas shaking in their kaffiyehs.
Posted by: Desert Blondie   2004-12-04 12:28:35 AM  

#2  Might as well be; anyone want a slice of Israel?

Photo caption:
Palestinian supporters of the Islamic Hamas group, holding a big map of what is now Israel and the Palestinian Territories, including the West Bank and the Gaza Strip, as they participate in the campaign for students’ council elections in Al-Najah university in the northern West Bank city of Nablus, Sunday Nov. 28, 2004. The map reads in Arabic: ‘Muslim Palestine.’ The elections will take place Monday. (AP Photo/Nasser Ishtayeh)

I must note, however, that the Fatah supporters were overwhelming victors in the student council elections.
Posted by: Seafarious   2004-12-04 12:19:35 AM  

#1  Is that a cake?
Posted by: Fred   2004-12-04 12:13:20 AM  

00:00