By Itamar Marcus and Barbara Crook
October 5, 2006
"Abbas: Hamas must recognize Israel," announced the headline in The Jerusalem Post. The article went on to report that "PA chairman Mahmoud Abbas vowed to fire the Hamas-led government before the end of the month unless... they accepted Israel's right to exist. Abbas made his pledge in a meeting with US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, who expressed Washington's full support for the PA chairman and his Fatah party in their confrontation with Hamas."
Only the day before, however, Abbas said on PA TV that Hamas does not have to recognize Israel -- nor does his own Fatah faction: "Hamas is not required to recognize Israel.... It is not required of Hamas, or of Fatah, or of the Popular Front to recognize Israel."
He went on to say that government officials must "recognize their counterparts" to "solve people's problems," indicating that this does not constitute an inherent recognition of Israel, just a functional recognition that allows the PA to get what it needs from Israeli counterparts:
"I do not demand of Hamas nor any other to recognize Israel. But from the government that works with Israelis in day to day life, yes."
It appears that Rice has been duped into believing that this is a sincere recognition of Israel. She told Abbas after their meeting: "We have great admiration for you and leadership," and is quoted in The Jerusalem Post as saying that the US will "redouble efforts" to help the Palestinians.
The following transcript was translated from Mahmoud Abbas' Arabic language interview with the Palestinian Al-Arabiya television station on October 3, 2006 :
The host asks Mahmoud Abbas which points Hamas opposed [thus preventing the establishing of a Palestinian unity government].
Abbas: One of the most prominent sections the Hamas opposed is the Arab initiative. The Arab initiative, we were those who created it... There are important things in the Arab initiative, except that they [Hamas] claim that the initiative does not deal with the refugees. And I say that the inclusion of the refugee issue is as clear as the sun. There is a clause calling for a just and agreed solution for the refugee problem according to [UN] resolution 194 [regarding refugees]. So how can they say the clause does not exist? Another subject -- they say that it [the Arab initiative] recognizes Israel. The document states that should Israel evacuate Arab lands, should Israel evacuate Palestinian lands, and if a Palestinian state will be established, and if the refugee problem will be solved, all the Arabs will then normalize their relations with Israel. Similarly, the Islamic Conference adopted the initiative, as well as the Islamic countries regarding normalizing relations. So where is the error? Where is the error when they say they don't want it [the Arab initiative]? There are four conditions! That is -- if this will happen, and that will happen, and this will happen, and that will happen, we will reach... [normalization]."
Host: "But maybe Hamas is right regarding the fact that it does not want to recognize Israel."
Abbas [snaps]: "Hamas is not required to recognize Israel. It is not required of Hamas, or of Fatah, or of the Popular Front to recognize Israel, all right?
"The PLO, in 1993, recognized Israel. As Israel recognized the PLO. Every person has the right to say 'I do not recognize,' okay? It's your right. It is the right of every organization. But the government which will be formed, and which will function opposite the Israelis on a daily basis ... every hour and perhaps every second, there will be contact between Palestinian ministers and Israeli ministers. And I ask -- how can this government, or these ministers, not recognize their counterparts, and then solve people's problems?"
Abbas then gives an example of 500 million dollars in taxes intended for the Palestinians, but put on hold by Israelis. The Palestinian finance minister has to come to an agreement with the Israeli finance minister regarding the transfer of that money. "So how can he make an agreement with him if he does not recognize him?"
"So I do not demand of Hamas nor any other [organizations] to recognize Israel. But from the government that works with Israelis in day to day life, yes."
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