Originally Posted by Winningsmile";p=&quot

Hamas softens its stance
Associated Press December 4, 2004

By Mohammed Daraghmeh

Ramallah, West Bank:

The militant group Hamas will accept a Palestinian state in the West Bank and Gaza Strip and a long-term truce with Israel, a leader said Friday, apparently softening Hamas’ hard-line stance and boosting hopes for renewed peace efforts after Yasser Arafat’s death.

Sheik Hassen Yousef, a senior Hamas official in the West Bank, said he sees a truce in which Israel and a Palestinian state “live side-by-side in peace and security for a certain period.”

Yousef’s statements signal an apparent reversal of policy for Hamas, which has long sought to destroy Israel and replace it with an Islamic Palestinian state. The group has killed hundreds of Israelis in attacks during the past four years.

The group’s top leaders, based outside the Palestinian areas, were unavailable for comment Friday on the policy change.

Hamas has announced that it accepts a Palestinian independent state within the 1967 borders with a long-term truce,” Yousef said, referring to lands Israel captured in the 1967 Mideast war.

Palestinian Foreign Minister Nabil Shaath welcomed the new Hamas position as a “positive step” and said the group informed the Palestinian Authority of their new policy during recent talks.

Yousef said the Hamas position was new calling 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 cease-fire nor did he say how long it would last.



It’s obvious to me that the when Yasser Arafat expired it represented a real sea change in the prospect for peaceful coexistence between a Palestinian nation and Israel. But when I read the above article it floored me. Maybe I’m ignorant but has anyone on this web site come across or seen any stories that would corroborate the above news article?

The reason I’m asking is because this story along with Arafat’s death points the way for realistic peace negotiations. I’ve always felt that Hamas was not only dangerous to Israeli society but also posed a threat to any Palestinian leader who wanted to conduct serious lasting peace talks. Of course there are other militant terrorist groups in existence besides Hamas. Don’t get me wrong here, I’m not being premature, I know the struggle to put together a real and permanent peace agreement will not be a cake walk, nor do I think that recent events necessarily grantee it will happen. I know that events in the Middle East can be very unstable and very unpredictable. But it appears the window of opportunity has opened wider than I’ve ever seen in a long time. I also believe that the citizens of both Palestine and Israel have desired a peaceful and prosperous co- existence even more so than their politically entrenched leaders.

So with this in mind I’m going to say something that no one will believe could come from me. I hope George W Bush takes advantage of this window of opportunity and facilitates at least some preliminary stages in a peaceful resolution between the two opposing sides in the Middle East.

Don’t get me wrong. It’s not that I have any real love for GWB. But this needs to be done and since he’s the President of the USA than I hope he uses his considerable clout as a (dare I say it) World Leader to push for this. I still think the Iraq war for his administration has been and will continue to be a bloody mess. And while I don’t think Iraq will conclude in any form of positive domino effect, I do think solving the Israeli/Palestine conflict would rob terrorists of at least one powerful reason to hate the U.S.

As far as Iraq is concerned I believe the only way we will succeed is by negotiating a loose confederation of states made of the 3 factions: Kurdistan, Sunnies and Shias. The sooner we realize that, the faster we can deal with an inevitable break up of this country.

But also I am a realist. And the opportunity now calls for U.S involvement.. And I hope George Bush is enough of an opportunist to help facilitate (with the assistance of other Nations) a real and lasting peace between Israel and a Palestinian Nation.

Originally Posted by Winningsmile";p=&quot

I also believe that the citizens of both Palestine and Israel have desired a peaceful and prosperous co- existence even more so than their politically entrenched leaders.