Hamas: Obama’s letter contained threats, no guarantees

[ 31/07/2010 - 05:05 PM ]

GAZA, (PIC)-- Hamas confirmed that Barack Obama's letter to the former PA president Mahmoud Abbas revealed by the media on Saturday reflects the fact that the Arab decision to start direct negotiations between the Ramallah authority and the Israeli occupation government deceived the majority of Palestinian-Arab street.

The movement said that the letter contains a number of threats and no guarantees, which means that the Arab follow-up Committee marketed the U.S.’s position, without any regard for the interests of the Palestinians and Arabs.

Hamas spokesman, Dr. Sami Abu Zuhri, said Saturday in a press release: “The letter is evidence of the role played by the Fatah movement in marketing misconceptions and misleading public opinion about the guarantees and assurances alleged by the U.S., which leads us to confirm that Mahmoud Abbas is not authorized to negotiate on behalf of the Palestinian people.”

Abu Zuhri said that his movement refuses to back the latest Arab follow-up Committee decision, especially in wake of the policy of extortion practiced by the U.S. and the policy of deception practiced by that committee.

In similar developments, the Secretary-General of the Arab League, Amr Mousa, held a behind closed doors meeting with Abbas and Qatari Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Hamad Bin Jassim just before the general meeting of Arab FMs, wherein direct negotiations were adopted, Arab diplomatic sources said.

The sources told the PIC on Saturday: “Amr Moussa emphasized to Abu Mazen (Abbas) not to bow down to the Israelis and not to go into direct negotiations, and that there are no guarantees he has which bind the Israelis, but Abu Mazen replied to Mousa that he was under pressure from the U.S. administration and there was no way out of going into those negotiations, sooner or later, and that the final decision will be made by the Arab vote on this issue.”

According to the sources, Abbas briefed Mousa on U.S. president Barack Obama’s letter that included direct and implied warnings of the consequences of not entering direct negotiations with Israel, and that there would be repercussions on Palestinian-American relations, as well as discontinuation of U.S. assistance in extending the settlement freeze in the West Bank.

The sources noted that Mousa expressed anger over Abbas’s compliance with U.S. dictates, and assured him that it will give the Israelis an opportunity to continue in their crimes and achieve political gains at the expense of the Palestinians.

Meanwhile, a Palestinian source told the Israeli radio that Abbas might start direct negotiations with Israel after Eid al-Fitr and before September 26, which is the expiry of the so-called “freeze” of construction projects in Israeli settlements in the West Bank.


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