Hamdan: Hamas-Carter meet reflects West’s conviction that Hamas can’t be ignored

Hamas”s representative in Lebanon Osama Hamdan has confirmed Thursday that his Movement won”t recognize the Israeli occupation in exchange for talks with the West, describing talks about two –state solution amidst the growing Israeli settlement activities as a “mirage” that shouldn’t deceive the Palestinians.

 

In press statement he made Thursday, Hamdan pointed out that the meeting between Hamas”s political leadership and former US president Jimmy Carter in the Syrian capital Damascus was part of the new conviction in the West that Hamas couldn’t be sidelined when it comes to dealing with the Palestinian file.

 

He said that the international community should deal with the new political map that took shape after the Palestinian legislative elections in 2006, adding that he personally believes that Carter has positive impressions and convictions about Hamas.

 

“What we have heard from [US president Barack] Obama in Cairo was also a positive language that needs practical steps on the ground, and I believe the speech of Obama would be part of the discussion during the dialogue between Hamas and Carter because, simply, no party could deal with the Palestinian file without dealing with Hamas”, Hamdan underlined.

 

He also revealed that the Movement would discuss the Israeli siege on Gaza, and the need to immediately lift it, and to bridle Israeli aggressions on the Palestinian people.

 

” We would listen to Carter about the new ideas of the new administration of the White House”, he confirmed.

 

But he made it clear that his Movement wouldn’t accept recognizing the Israeli occupation of Palestine in exchange for talks with the West, stressing that Hamas rejects any condition for talks with the West.

 

“Whoever wants to talk to Hamas without conditions he is very much welcome and the address of the Movement is known; but asking us to recognize Israel for talks with the West would be something impossible”, Hamdan underscored.

 

In Damascus,  Carter acknowledged that no peace in the region could be achieved without Hamas”s direct participation in the peace process. He also criticized the stands of Israeli premier Binyamin Netanyahu about settlements and the two-state solution, describing those stands as “negative”.

 

In a press conference after he met with the Syrian president, Bashar Al-Asad, in Damascus, Carter opined that the new US administration would find a way to establish ties with and talk to Hamas.

 

As far as the issue of Gilad Shalit is concerned, Carter disclosed that there was no progress so far on this track,  adding that the Israeli occupation authority detained big number of elected Palestinian lawmakers that she got to release.