While Hamas political chief Khaled Meshaal made headlines with claims to CNN that the Gaza-leading terror group is prepared to accept a Palestinian state within the 1967 lines, he effectively ruled out real peace with Israel. That rejectionist stance echoed Hamas’ own military wing on their English-language Twitter feed.
The feed @AlqassamBrigades argued on November 21, as the Israel-Gaza conflict wound down, that since Israel was being taken into a conflict-ridden “hell” by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Zionists should return to “home”—which Hamas said was not in Israel, but in Europe. Zionism as a political movement believes Jews should return to their ancient homeland in Israel.
“Oh, Zionists, #Netanyahu’s government dragging you for hell, you have the choice whether to stay in hell or escape, go back home in Germany,” the Hamas Twitter post said. A post shortly thereafter followed up on the theme, telling Zionists that “You have to drag yourselves out of hell, go back home now, go back to Garmany [sic], Poland, Russia, America and anywhere else.”
Hamas has long refused to recognize the legitimacy of the State of Israel. Meshaal himself was unwilling to officially compromise on that stance in his interview with CNN, despite his supposed openness to accepting a Palestinian state within the Gaza Strip, West Bank and half of Jerusalem—the so-called 1967 lines. The lines refer primarily to territory Israel took from Jordan and Egypt in a defensive war in 1967 and claimed by the Palestinians. No independent Palestinian state has ever been established on the territory.
According to a transcript of his interview with Christiane Amanpour on CNN’s website, Meshaal said he could accept the 1967 lines but said that the recognition of Israel should be resolved by a Palestinian state only after it was created—not as a condition for the creation of the entity. Theoretically, that could mean that Israel could allow the formation of an existential threat on its very doorstep.
Recognition of Israel is considered by the United States and others to be an essential element of participating in the peace process, and therefore vital to any peace accord.
In the interview that first aired on November 21, Meshaal also demanded the so-called “right of return” for Palestinian refugees to their claimed territory within all of the State of Israel, a move that would potentially overwhelm a Jewish Israel with Palestinian citizens.
Hamas’ Dictionary Questions
Meshaal isn’t the only Hamas official whose public comments have been disconcerting. @AlqassamBrigades feed’s coverage of a press conference by Hamas spokesman Abu Obeida on November 22 raised some questions due to his choice of words to refer to the fourth largest city of Israel, which is just south of Tel Aviv.
“Shelling Rishon Lezion-Israel’s first settlement means that we would start battle of liberation from heart of Zionist entity,” he was quoted as saying.
While Rishon Lezion was settled by Jews well over 100 years ago, making it technically a Jewish “settlement,” the term has more recently come to refer to Jewish-Israeli cities on territory claimed by Palestinians. Rishon Lezion is well within the “Israeli side” of the so-called 1967 lines.
Obeida was later quoted as saying that while the latest operation with Israel was finished, referring to the conflict recently ended via ceasefire, the “battle with #Zionist enemy will never end as long as one inch of our land is occupied”.
In addition to refusing to recognize Israel, Hamas has also been isolated politically by the US and others due to its refusal to reject violence against Israel.
(By Joshua Spurlock, www.themideastupdate.com, November 25, 2012)