Hamas leader Khaled Meshaal (L) and Hamas' Gaza leader Ismail Haniyeh (R) meet with Sudan's President Omar al-Bashir in Khartoum December 29, 2011. REUTERS/ Mohamed Nureldin Abdallah., a photo by Pan-African News Wire File Photos on Flickr.
Haniyeh in Sudan: Hamas will Never Recognize Israel
Hamas’ Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh in official visit to Sudan: Hamas will never recognize Israel and will never give up on Jerusalem.
By Elad Benari
First Publish: 1/1/2012, 6:11 AM
Hamas’ Prime Minister in Gaza, Ismail Haniyeh, reiterated on Saturday that his organization will never recognize Israel and will never give up on Jerusalem, Channel 10 News reported.
Haniyeh made the comments during talks in the Sudanese capital, Khartoum, where he several days ago met President Omar al-Bashir. The visit to Sudan is part of Haniyeh’s first official regional tour since Hamas seized power in Gaza in 2007.
He also called for the establishment of a “Jerusalem Army,” an army of Arab nations who will conquer Jerusalem from the Jews, the report said.
Haniyeh’s remarks were reportedly made in a forum entitled “The Jerusalem Forum” being held in Khartoum. Channel 10 reported that during the discussions, Haniyeh’s men met with senior members of the extremist Muslim Brotherhood movement. According to the report, the purpose of the meetings was to look into the possibility of having Hamas join the Muslim Brotherhood.
While Haniyeh’s comments are consistent with ones he recently made during Hamas’ 24th anniversary celebration, where he said Hamas’ long-term strategic goal is to eliminate all of Israel, they are not consistent with comments made by other Hamas officials in the past week.
Hamas’ politburo chief, Khaled Mashaal, said last week that for the time being Hamas intends to focus on popular protests in the spirit of the Arab Spring, rather than armed resistance against Israel.
Mashaal’s remarks came following reconciliation talks between Fatah and Hamas in Cairo last week, which resulted in an announcement that Hamas, Islamic Jihad, and other terror factions would be joining the PLO. Hamas’ co-founder Mahmoud al-Zahar later confirmed Mashaal’s remarks.
Sudanese president meets with Hamas leaders
December 29, 2011 (KHARTOUM) – The Sudanese president Omer Hassan al-Bashir met on Thursday with a visiting delegation from the Palestinian Hamas movement that currently controls the Gaza strip.
Hamas leader Khaled Meshaal (L) and Hamas’ Gaza leader Ismail Haniyeh (R) meet with Sudan’s President Omer Hassan al-Bashir in Khartoum December 29, 2011 (Reuters)The delegation included Gaza’s Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh, Hamas co-founders Mahmood al-Zahar and Mousa abu-Marzook as well as politburo Chief Khalid Meshaal.
According to Sudan official news agency (SUNA), Bashir discussed with Hamas the developments in the Palestinian territories particularly with regards to reconciliation and reforming the Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO).
Meshaal expressed the gratitude and appreciation of Palestinian people to the support extended by the government and people of Sudan to their cause and the issue of Jerusalem in particular.
He added that they were briefed by Bashir on the developments in Sudan and noted that links between Palestine and Sudan are “strong”.
Meshaal said that Jerusalem is targeted by the "Israeli enemy" through displacement, Judaization and excavations
Haniyeh said they acquainted Bashir on the developments of events in Gaza, noting that Sudan offered a lot to ease the siege on the Gaza Strip.
He said that what is required is material and moral support from the Arab and Islamic world to aid the resistance of Palestinians in Jerusalem and the political position that supports Jerusalem as the capital of the Palestinian state.
The visit to Sudan was part of Haniyeh’s first official regional tour since Hamas seized power in Gaza in 2007.
Last week, PLO chief Mahmood Abbas met with Hamas leaders in Cairo and it was agreed that a committee be formed to prepare for the inclusion of Hamas, as well as the smaller militant group Islamic Jihad, in the PLO.
The committee will now prepare for an internal election of the PLO parliament in order to facilitate Hamas and the Islamic Jihad membership.
Hamas is under intense political pressure particularly after Syria, it s main backer, fell into disarray with bloody unrest that have been ongoing since earlier this year.
Many Hamas officials and their families who were based in Damascus for decades have left for Gaza and Egypt as the regime of Syrian president Bashar al-Assad appeared to be on uncertain footing.
Some reports have suggested that Hamas is considering locating its headquarters from Damascus to Khartoum.
(ST)
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