AJCongress Says, 'Hamas Victory Means Charade is Over'

1/26/2006 11:11:00 AM


NEW YORK, Jan. 26 /U.S. Newswire/ -- American Jewish Congress issued the following statement today after Hamas' gain of the plurality in yesterday's Palestinian Authority parliamentary elections, ousting President Mahmoud Abbas' ruling Fatah as the dominant party in the Palestinian legislature.

Executive Director Neil B. Goldstein issued the following statement:

"During the Palestinian election campaign, Hamas promised that, if elected, it would do better providing services to the Palestinian people than the corrupt Fatah leadership that, heretofore, had used available funds to line its own pockets. At the same time Hamas continued to call for the destruction of Israel and threatened to resume the Palestinian campaign of terrorism following the election. One half of the Hamas platform cannot be separated from the other; by choosing the party that, so to speak, promised to do a better job "making the trains run on time," the Palestinian people also have acquiesced to Hamas' campaign of evil.

"By choosing Hamas, the Palestinians have punctured the myth that they have elected leaders who reject terrorism -- a fundamental requirement of the Roadmap for Peace. Furthermore, by choosing Hamas, the Palestinians have ended the charade that there is a partner with the will and with the authority to negotiate a bona fide peace settlement with Israel. President Bush is absolutely correct in saying today, that Hamas is not a partner for peace.

"There are some who retain the illusion that, now that Hamas is part of the political process, it will moderate and support peace with Israel -- much in the same way that Fatah, the dominant party in the PLO, did so. Those who hold to this vain hope misread history and ignore the differences between the PLO and Hamas. First of all, in the end, Fatah and the PLO never fully supported peace. At the final hour Yassir Arafat was unwilling to conclude an end to hostilities and make peace with Israel. Today, while the leadership of Fatah is nominally in favor of peace, its President, Mahmoud Abbas, has refused to put an end to terrorism, and many of its factions (the Al-Aqsa Brigades and Fatah Hawks among them) are terrorist. Second, while the Fatah and PLO leadership benefited by moderating their stands and agreeing to be part of the Oslo peace process by being granted the right to return from exile in Tunisia, Hamas would derive no such benefit. To the contrary, the Hamas leadership is convinced that it is the tool of terrorism that has given them the capacity to throw Israel out of Gaza and that makes them a potent force."

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The American Jewish Congress is a membership association of Jewish Americans, organized to defend Jewish interests at home and abroad, through public policy advocacy, in the courts, Congress, the executive branch and state and local governments. It also works overseas with others who are similarly engaged.

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American Jewish Committee Calls Hamas Victory a Setback for Peace

1/26/2006 1:31:00 PM

NEW YORK, Jan. 26 /U.S. Newswire/ -- The American Jewish Committee (AJC) called the results of yesterday's Palestinian legislative elections "a setback for peace." The Palestinian terrorist organization Hamas, dedicated to the destruction of Israel, won a majority of seats in the parliament.

"The Palestinian people, in a democratic election, have made their decision, and their choice of a terrorist organization will have consequences," said AJC Executive Director David A. Harris. "Unless Hamas completely reinvents itself, renouncing violence, recognizing Israel's right to exist and endorsing a two-state solution, Hamas cannot be viewed as a partner for peace."

AJC welcomed President Bush's remarks at his news conference today, declaring that the U.S. would not deal with Palestinian leaders who do not recognize Israel's right to exist. The U.S. and the European Union have listed Hamas as a terrorist organization.

AJC supports a negotiated two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, but has long pointed out that Israel needs a credible Palestinian partner, one who is committed to a path towards peace and security for Israelis and Palestinians.

"Israel has demonstrated its desire for peace again and again, and its willingness to make painful compromises to advance peace with the Palestinians, including the most recent transfer of the Gaza Strip to the Palestinian Authority," said Harris. "The political elevation of Hamas will not thwart Israel's commitment to safeguarding its own citizens while searching for a durable peace with all neighbors."

http://www.usnewswire.com/

Abbas, Hamas leaders plan to meet this week CNN
A week after Hamas wrested control of the Palestinian parliament from the Fatah Party, Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas has not officially called on the Islamic fundamentalist group to form a government. But Palestinian sources said Wednesday that Abbas plans to meet with Hamas leaders in Gaza either Friday or Saturday. It's unclear what the topic of discussion will be, the sources said. Last week, in the first Palestinian election in 10 years, Hamas won 76 of the 132 seats in the parliament. Fatah, which has dominated Palestinian politics for four decades, felt a backlash from voters, winning only 43 seats. Abbas, the Fatah leader, has faced demands from party supporters to step down after the election defeat. Hamas officials have urged members of Fatah to join it in a unity government for the Palestinians, but so far Fatah officials have rejected those calls. Abbas, also known as Abu Mazen, was due to confer with Egyptian officials in Cairo before meeting with Hamas officials. Behind the scenes, Egyptian officials were talking with both sides following Hamas' surprise victory. On Tuesday, Egyptian Intelligence Chief Omar Suleiman met with exiled Hamas political leader Khaled Mashaal in Damascus, Syria. Suleiman said he called on Hamas to renounce violence so that it can form an effective government.
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Not fair to claim that Pals elected Hamas for their terrorism. Partly they elected Hamas IN SPITE of their terrorism, but because they supplied the medical care, the child care, fixed the sewers, the broken streets, etc. that the corrupt Arafat regime never did. I bet at least half would have voted for anybody but Fatah.

(Hmm sounds like anybody but Bush)

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IN WHAT many news outlets have termed a political 'earthquake', the militant group Hamas swept to a stunning victory in last month's Palestinian parliamentary elections January 25. Fatah, the previous ruling party, had been widely accused of corruption and inefficiency. Observers see this victory as the Palestinians' protest against Fatah's record of governance. "Ordinary Palestinians," wrote David Horovitz, editor-in-chief of The Jerusalem Post, "will tell you that they voted for Hamas because the Fatah Palestinian Authority (PA) cheated them and stole from them -- whereas the Islamists have proved themselves exemplars of good governance at the local level. Many will stress that their vote for Hamas was not a ballot for a renewed campaign of suicide bombings and shooting attacks on Israeli targets."
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