JERUSALEM – Hamas dropped its fierce opposition to negotiations with Israel yesterday and gave the go-ahead to its new government partner to conduct peace talks.
But Israel said the apparent breakthrough means nothing unless Hamas clearly accepts Israel’s right to exist.
Hamas’ sudden offer to hold talks is the result of a power-sharing agreement with its political foe, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas.
Under the deal hammered out over the last two months, Hamas would continue to dominate the Palestinian Cabinet but Abbas would have control of foreign policy and the authority to negotiate.
“We have no problem that this government has peace talks with Israel,” Hamas spokesman Ghazi Hamad said in Hebrew on Israeli state radio.
The change came as an Israeli military court made an apparent peace gesture by ordering the release of 19 Hamas officials, including Cabinet ministers, who had been arrested after the June 25 seizure of Israeli Cpl. Gilad Shalit by Hamas-linked kidnappers.
But Israeli officials said there was no basis for the first peace talks in years because the Hamas-Abbas agreement doesn’t meet the demands set by the Mideast peace “quartet,” which includes the United States.
The quartet halted millions of dollars in aid to the Palestinians until the their government renounced terrorism and recognized Israel.
“No serious negotiations could be held” before those conditions are met, Israeli Defense Minister Amir Peretz said yesterday. But if they are met and Shalit is freed, “meaningful talks” are possible.
Israeli officials suspect Hamas is artificially trying to end the international economic boycott of the Palestinian Authority on the eve of Abbas’ visit to the United States and United Nations next week.
With Post Wire Services