Hamas: Abbas’s speech aimed to pave the way for his return to negotiation

PIC

[ 15/12/2009 - 06:20 PM ]

GAZA, (PIC)-- The Movement of Hamas stated Tuesday that Mahmoud Abbas’s speech before the central council of the Palestine liberation organization (PLO) is an attempt to pave the way for his return to the frivolous negotiations with the Israeli occupation.

In a press statement to the Palestinian information center (PIC), Hamas spokesman Sami Abu Zuhri said that Abbas’s speech included many points that need clarification especially his allegation about his adherence to the Palestinian constants.

Spokesman Abu Zuhri refuted this allegation, saying that Abbas publicly recognized the legitimacy of the Israeli occupation, which means a waiver of 80 percent of the occupied Palestinian land, and renounced the right of return when he talked about his approval to a just solution agreed upon in this regard with Israel.

The spokesman underlined that Abbas contributed to the loss of most of the Palestinian land because of his negotiations that gave cover to Israel to escalate its settlement and Judaization activities.

He slammed Abbas for linking the suffering of the Palestinian people to the capture of Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit, saying that Abbas pretends to forget that the suffering of Palestinians started with the occupation of Palestine in 1948.

The spokesman categorically denied Abbas’s claims that he rejected a deal made by Hamas to extend his term of office and the mandate of the Palestinian legislative council (PLC), and to postpone the elections.

The spokesman also criticized Abbas’s talk that Hamas does not believe in democracy, saying that Hamas practiced democracy and fought the elections in 2006, while Abbas and Fatah faction as well as international parties refused to deal with the results of these elections.

In another press statement on Tuesday to Al-Jazeera satellite channel, spokesman Abu Zuhri stressed his Movement’s refusal of the PLO’s central committee’s decision to extend Abba’s term of office, adding that any decisions issued by the PLO and its central committee are not binding because they are illegitimate and unconstitutional bodies.

He told Al-Jazeera that the central committee’s decision is a political bribe to a Palestinian president who lost his legitimacy a year ago.

The spokesman underscored that the elected PLC is still valid and will be assuming its parliamentary duties until a new general legislative election is held.

For his part, Dr. Mahmoud Al-Ramahi, the secretary-general of the PLC, strongly denounced Abbas’s militias for escalating its political arrest campaign against Hamas cadres in the West Bank, affirming that these kidnappings are political par excellence.

Dr. Ramahi said that the kidnapping of more than 150 Palestinian citizens recently from different social strata such as students, teachers, municipal officials, sons and brothers of lawmakers and businessmen refuted the allegations of the Palestinian Authority (PA) that those citizens were arrested for security reasons.

For its part, Omamah website reported that Abbas’s militias kidnapped during the past 24 hours and until the early hours of Tuesday 250 Palestinians thought to be affiliated with Hamas and summoned more than 1,150 others in different West Bank areas.