Hamas, Fatah prisoners soften stance on Israel
db: Also see previous post - Alastair Crooke: Back to 1967
Jailed members of Hamas and Fatah have developed a peace plan that accepts of a Palestinian state alongside Israel, Mahmoud Abbas says.
aljazeera.net: However, it was unclear whether Hamas, particularly the group's leaders abroad, would back the proposals.
Until now Hamas has rejected international demands for it to renounce violence, recognise Israel and accept existing peace agreements.
The document was formulated by senior Hamas and Fatah members who are imprisoned by Israel and presented to the Palestinian leader on Wednesday.
Abbas, the moderate leader of Fatah, said he backed the draft document, which authorises him to lead peace talks with Israel.
"This document is very important. I adopt the position of those heroes," he said late on Wednesday, referring to the prisoners.
"It includes a deep and realistic political vision that to a very large extent represents my point of view ... and thus I adopt it."
Senior Hamas officials were not immediately available for comment.
The news comes a few days after a senior Israeli official reportedly met several Palestinian prisoners, among them Hamas legislators, in two jails.
The Yedioth Ahronoth newspaper quoted a ministry official as saying Motti Zaken, an adviser on Arab affairs at the internal security ministry, met the men to "to assess their mood".
Occupied territory
The negotiations were held in Israel's Hadarim Prison, where Fatah leader Marwan al-Barghouti and Abdel Khaleq Natche of Hamas are serving their sentences.
The paper calls for a Palestinian state in all lands occupied in 1967 It was not clear whether Natche had the approval of the Hamas leadership abroad, including Syrian-based Khalid Mishaal.
The document calls for a Palestinian state "in all the lands occupied in 1967", a reference to the West Bank, Gaza Strip and east Jerusalem. Read more
Jailed members of Hamas and Fatah have developed a peace plan that accepts of a Palestinian state alongside Israel, Mahmoud Abbas says.
aljazeera.net: However, it was unclear whether Hamas, particularly the group's leaders abroad, would back the proposals.
Until now Hamas has rejected international demands for it to renounce violence, recognise Israel and accept existing peace agreements.
The document was formulated by senior Hamas and Fatah members who are imprisoned by Israel and presented to the Palestinian leader on Wednesday.
Abbas, the moderate leader of Fatah, said he backed the draft document, which authorises him to lead peace talks with Israel.
"This document is very important. I adopt the position of those heroes," he said late on Wednesday, referring to the prisoners.
"It includes a deep and realistic political vision that to a very large extent represents my point of view ... and thus I adopt it."
Senior Hamas officials were not immediately available for comment.
The news comes a few days after a senior Israeli official reportedly met several Palestinian prisoners, among them Hamas legislators, in two jails.
The Yedioth Ahronoth newspaper quoted a ministry official as saying Motti Zaken, an adviser on Arab affairs at the internal security ministry, met the men to "to assess their mood".
Occupied territory
The negotiations were held in Israel's Hadarim Prison, where Fatah leader Marwan al-Barghouti and Abdel Khaleq Natche of Hamas are serving their sentences.
The paper calls for a Palestinian state in all lands occupied in 1967 It was not clear whether Natche had the approval of the Hamas leadership abroad, including Syrian-based Khalid Mishaal.
The document calls for a Palestinian state "in all the lands occupied in 1967", a reference to the West Bank, Gaza Strip and east Jerusalem. Read more
posted by exoplanet at 8:24 PM
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