Hamas Deputy FM in Rice Message: Hamas Seeks Peace

Dr. Ahmed Youssef, the political adviser at the Hamas-led Palestinian Foreign Ministry sent a message through the media to Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, in which he stressed that Hamas seeks peace, and said that any positive step taken towards finding a solution for the conflict will be deemed a failure as long as the elected legitimate government in Palestine is sidelined and blockaded by the US administration.

 Youssef added, addressing Rice:” Out of the national commitment towards the Palestinian people who voted for Hamas to lead them, I write this message to you following what happened in Annapolis conference, as your administration is not more concerned and interested in peace more us, the Palestinians”.

For his part, Mushir Al Masri, the press spokesman of the Hamas movement told Ikhwanweb that no full stability will take effect away from the legitimately elected Palestinian government and Hamas movement.

Those thinking that they can steer the national project alone and impose their agenda on the Palestinian people are mistaken, he said referring to Fatah Movement.

He reiterated also that it is impossible for one Palestinian party to translate any agreement on the ground as long as it is rejected by the majority in the Palestinian street, a majority said chose Hamas movement in free and fair elections. Al Masri saw that any rashness towards peace without Hamas participation is actually rashness towards illusion.

“This is because Hamas movement is an important political power and a key pillar in the national equation, according to him. The movement has proved throughout the previous years that all forms of domestic and international blockade, pressures and conspiracies against the movement failed in front of the popular solidarity and sympathy with this movement which is defending people”s rights and dignity and because it sticks to results of the elections through which people freely and fairly chose it.

 Ahmed Youssef said that the US administration premeditatedly ignored many facts in Palestine , including the landslide win achieved by the change and reform bloc, the political framework through which Hamas entered the last parliamentary elections.

Youssef suspected that any talks demanding Israel to stop aggression and building settlements would succeed. He said all previous negotiations did not succeed throughout the past two decades. “While you were in Annapolis , diggers and bulldozers were working on confiscating lands and expanding settlements across the West Bank, he said directing these words to the US administration.

Youssef pointed out that Hamas has repeatedly called for initiating a dialogue with the United States and Europe to seriously deal with issues handled at Annapolis .

 “Our conflict with Israel is based on the fact that ” Palestine has a right that it calls for” and an injustices laid on people and Hamas seeks to remove such injustices. The violations committed by the Israeli occupation forces must stopped, he said.