Israel welcomes Hamas leader's move on recognition

reuters: Israel on Sunday cautiously welcomed a statement by the Palestinian prime minister-designate that Hamas was ready to recognize it if Palestinians were given full rights and a state in occupied lands.

Hamas chose Ismail Haniyeh, a 43-year-old Gazan viewed by many Palestinians as a pragmatist, as the new prime minister after its election victory on January 25. The group hopes to complete forming a Palestinian government within two weeks.

"If Israel declares that it will give the Palestinian people a state and give them back all their rights, then we are ready to recognize them," Haniyeh told the Washington Post in an interview posted on its Web site.

Haniyeh said Hamas, whose charter calls to destroy Israel, was ready to consider talks if the Jewish state withdrew from the West Bank and East Jerusalem and recognised the "right of return" for Palestinian refugees who fled, or were forced to leave, in the 1948 war and their descendants.

In response, Israeli cabinet minister Meir Sheetrit told Israel's Army Radio: "I wish they would change their positions...They (Hamas) may be starting to speak another language."

If Hamas were to accept Israel's conditions to recognize Israel and renounce violence, "we won't have any trouble speaking to Hamas, and to reach a settlement," Sheetrit said.

Hamas has rejected talks with the Jewish state but has signaled a readiness to accept interim peace deals with Israel, after U.S.-led threats to withhold critical funding to the Palestinians unless Hamas changes its stance.

"Let Israel say it will recognize a Palestinian state along the 1967 borders, release the prisoners and recognize the rights of the refugees to return to Israel. Hamas will have a position if this occurs," Haniyeh said. Read more