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Hamas' political leader Khaled Meshal. (AP)
Last update - 23:13 21/04/2008
Meshal offers 10-year truce for Palestinian state on '67 borders
By Barak Ravid, Haaretz Correspondent and News Agencies
Tags: Khaled Meshal, Israel, Hamas 

Hamas' political leader Khaled Meshal on Monday said Hamas would accept a Palestinian state in the West Bank and Gaza Strip along Israel's pre-1967 borders, and would grant Israel a 10-year hudna, or truce, as an implicit proof of recognition if Israel withdraws from those areas.

Meshal's comments were one of the clearest outlines Hamas has given for what it would do if Israel withdrew from the territories it captured in the 1967 Six Day War. He suggested Hamas would accept Israel's existence alongside a Palestinian state on the rest of the lands Israel has held since 1948.
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However, Meshal told reporters in Damascus that Hamas would not formally recognize Israel.

"We agree to a [Palestinian] state on pre-67 borders, with Jerusalem as its capital with genuine sovereignty without settlements but without recognizing Israel," Meshaal said.

"We have offered a truce if Israel withdraws to the 1967 borders, a truce of 10 years as a proof of recognition," he said. He said he made the offer to former U.S. President Jimmy Carter during talks Friday and Saturday in the Syrian capital.

Meshal used the Arabic word hudna, meaning truce, which is more concrete than tahdiya - a period of calm - which Hamas often uses to describe a simple cease-fire. Hudna implies a recognition of the other party's existence.

A government spokesman also said Israel was unimpressed by Meshaal's statement.

"Israel is targeted on a daily basis by rocket barrages from Hamas controlled territory in the Gaza Strip. Israel sees no change in Hamas's extremist positions," said David Baker, a spokesman in Prime Minister Ehud Olmert's office.

In Washington, the U.S. State Department said there is no indication that Hamas wants peace with Israel. "It is pretty clear to us that there is no acceptance on the part of Hamas of any kind of negotiated settlement," said deputy spokesman Tom Casey.

Casey said there had been contradictory statements from Hamas officials over whether they would accept the result of a referendum on a peace deal.

Earlier in Jerusalem, Carter said that Hamas is prepared to accept the Israel's right to "live in peace" within 1967 borders.

"There's no doubt that both the Arab world and the Palestinians, including Hamas, will accept Israel's right to live in peace within the 1967 borders."

Hamas has previously claimed all of what is now Israel and the West Bank and Gaza, and its charter calls for the destruction of Israel. Meshal did not address whether the group would consider changing it. But his comments were one of the strongest Hamas statements in favor of a two-state solution.

"This is Hamas' clear vision," Meshal added. He said the future Palestinian state must have Jerusalem as its genuine, sovereign capital. He appeared to be referring to East Jerusalem, since Israel held west Jerusalem before 1967.

Carter's comments came after he met after he met last week with the top Hamas leaders, including Meshal, in Syria.

Carter was back in Jerusalem this week to brief Israeli leaders on his talks with Meshal regarding a proposed truce between Israel and Hamas in the Gaza Strip as well as an exchange of prisoners between them.

Carter: Hamas would accept Israel-PA deal if Palestinians vote for it
The former U.S. president told reporters in Jerusalem on Monday that Hamas leaders said they would accept a peace agreement negotiated by their rival, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, if Palestinians approved the deal in a vote.

"They said they would accept a Palestinian state on the 1967 borders if approved by Palestinians ... even though Hamas might disagree with some terms of the agreement," Carter said in a speech, after talks in Syria and Egypt with Hamas leaders.

"It means that Hamas will not undermine Abbas' efforts to negotiate an agreement and Hamas will accept an agreement if the Palestinians support it in a free vote," he said.

But Carter said he was told by Hamas that a referendum on a peace deal must be preceded by reconciliation between the group and Abbas' Fatah faction. Hamas seized the Gaza Strip from Fatah in fighting in June.

A Hamas official in the Gaza Strip also referred to a series of preconditions raised by the Islamist group for assenting to a deal with Israel.

Sami Abu Zuhri said Palestinian refugees living in exile must be included in the voting - a condition that could complicate approval of a deal.

Abu Zuhri also noted that Hamas, which refuses to recognize Israel, would regard any future Palestinian state in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip, territories Israel captured in the 1967 Six Day War, as "transitional".

Speaking later to reporters, Carter said Hamas leaders whom he met "didn't say anything about transitional".

Unlike Abbas, who sought a Palestinian state side-by-side with Israel, Abu Zuhri said Hamas's outstanding position not to recognize Israel's right to exist remained unchanged despite of its acceptance of a state in 1967 borders.

Carter said Hamas turned down his proposal for a 30-day unilateral cease-fire with Israel but Egypt would continue its efforts to mediate a truce.

"I did the best I could on that," Carter said of his failure to persuade Hamas to halt rocket fire from the Gaza Strip.


Carter: Hamas ready to release letter from Shalit
Carter also told Trade Minister Eli Yishai on Monday that Hamas was prepared to release another letter from abducted Israel Defense Forces soldier Gilad Shalit to his family.

According to Carter, Meshal has promised that Shalit - who was kidnapped by Hamas militants in a cross-border raid in June 2006 - is in good physical health.

Carter told Yishai that Hamas was prepared to transfer Shalit into Egyptian hands as part of a packaged deal which would include the release of Palestinian prisoners.

The former U.S. leader said the Islamists had no opposition to releasing the soldier as part of a prisoner swap. He also asked Yishai to consider meeting with officials in Egypt regarding Shalit's release.

Yishai responded that he has already met with Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak and the Egyptian intelligence chief, Omar Suleiman, on the matter, but said he would consider another meeting.

The former U.S. leader told Yishai that Meshal had appreciated Yishai's offer to meet with the Islamist group regarding the Shalit deal, but did not want to compromise Egyptian mediation by doing so.

'Problem is refusal of U.S., Israel to meet Hamas'

Carter also told reporters following his return to Israel on Monday the "problem" was not his decision to meet with the Islamist group, but rather the refusal of Israel and the U.S. to do the same.

"The problem is not that I met with with Hamas in Syria. The problem is that Israel and the United States refuse to meet with someone who must be involved," the former U.S. leader said during a speech in Jerusalem.

He urged Israel to engage in direct negotiations with Hamas, saying failure to do so was hampering peace efforts.

"We do not believe that peace is likely and certainly that peace is not
sustainable unless a way is found to bring Hamas into the discussions in some way," he said. "The present strategy of excluding Hamas and excluding Syria is just not working."

In his comments Monday, Carter said Israeli-Palestinian peacemaking has
regressed since a U.S.-hosted Middle East conference in Annapolis, Maryland, in November.

Speaking about the possibility of renewed peace talks between Israel and
Syria, he said Syria wants the U.S. to play a strong role in bringing to two sides together.

Both the Israeli and U.S. governments disapprove of Carter's overtures to
Hamas. Over the weekend, Prime Minister Ehud Olmert said he decided not to meet with Carter in Israel because he does not wish to be seen as
participating in any negotiations with Hamas.


Related articles:
  • Syria 'eager' to restart Golan talks, says Carter
  • Talks with Hamas / One stage or many?
  • Meshal to announce decision over Carter truce proposals Sunday
  • Jimmy Carter: Israel must talk to everyone
  • Abbas says will discuss peace agreement with Bush Tuesday
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      1.   Question: How do you make peace without talking to your enemy? 11:01  |  Natallie Durson 21/04/08
      2.   I agree with Jimmy Carter 11:18  |  Edith 21/04/08
      3.   and why doesn`t the Israeli govt want peace? 11:25  |  Sean 21/04/08
      4.   #1: You annihilate your enemy, WWII style 11:27  |  Johnny 21/04/08
      5.   Answer: by defeating them. 11:35  |  msh 21/04/08
      6.   Hegemonic conceptions 11:39  |  Rowan (Niqnaq) 21/04/08
      7.   very odd 11:44  |  just me 21/04/08
      8.   This is the Arab position, What is Israel 11:47  |  El-Birawi 21/04/08
      9.   Sadly GB Bush and Olmert Don`t have an iota of Carter`s Wisdom 11:48  |  Johan Odin 21/04/08
      10.   WHY THIS YISHAI AGAIN HAARETZ 11:52  |  indrajaya 21/04/08
      11.   BELIEVE ME ON THIS 11:57  |  indrajaya 21/04/08
      12.   Peace = Low Oil Prices 12:03  |  Phil 21/04/08
      13.   note the "slight" differences...slight of hand?? 12:05  |  Meir Gush Etzion 21/04/08
      14.   Therein lies the rub...... 12:07  |  Clickfool 21/04/08
      15.   Jimmy Carter, we thank you very much for your efforts....... 12:10  |  Swiss (Dino) 21/04/08
      16.   Israel has the right to "live as neighbor" 12:21  |  Johnny Weintraub 21/04/08
      17.   4 Can`t annihilate a billion Muslims. No military solution. 12:22  |  Michael 21/04/08
      18.   A terrorist organization like Hamas doesn`t change ! 12:23  |  Jean Van Daem 21/04/08
      19.   Carter is Bound by US Constitution; Hamas By Their Covenant 12:25  |  Ovadiah ben Avraham 21/04/08
      20.   Jimmuh says that Hamas will accept Israel 12:29  |  Michael 21/04/08
      21.   Sure.. Hamas needs a Target for its Qassam 12:31  |  isratinian 21/04/08
      22.   Clickfool..Israel has been willing..sadly it may now be too late 12:35  |  Meir Gush Etzion 21/04/08
      23.   Talk is cheap, let`s hear it from Hamas 12:36  |  Joe Sittizen 21/04/08
      24.   Durson is correct, no peace until Hamas talks 12:42  |  Joe Sittizen 21/04/08
      25.   Clickfool - there are no 1967 borders 12:47  |  Adrian de Klerk 21/04/08
      26.   Carter 12:48  |  Fredy Ross 21/04/08
      27.   What a relief 12:59  |  Ofer from Ofer 21/04/08
      28.   #14 Read it properly 13:01  |  Rab Burns 21/04/08
      29.   Hamas and Arab Terms for Peace - Never!!! 13:04  |  Yossi 21/04/08
      30.   El Biravi, I want to hear Meshal say it in Arabic 13:05  |  I 21/04/08
      31.   Why so upset with me, as usual I am right .... 13:09  |  Indraja 21/04/08
      32.   Nothing new here 13:09  |  Atoo 21/04/08
      33.   Michael #17 re-read my post, also mentioned declining support 13:19  |  Johnny 21/04/08
      34.   # 4 Johnny 13:20  |  Bob 21/04/08
      35.   Nothing New - Hamas Still Rejects Israel`s Right to Exist 13:28  |  Scott 21/04/08
      36.   For Adrian De Clerk, nitpicking # 22 13:28  |  Clickfool 21/04/08
      37.   Make Hamas say it themselves 13:29  |  Awake 21/04/08
      38.   Cheap argument,Mr EX 13:32  |  drdanielito 21/04/08
      39.   Hamas STILL does not recognize Israel`s right to exist. 13:35  |  TurkishJew 21/04/08
      40.   Does anybody care what Hamas or Carter are saying 13:42  |  Sal 21/04/08
      41.   I`m sorry, are there really people this stupid? 13:49  |  Stephanie 21/04/08
      42.   Next letter form Shalit: No more than propaganda for Hamas 13:49  |  Catholic Israeli 21/04/08
      43.   # 15 Swiss...end the blockade 13:50  |  Lynn 21/04/08
      44.   Question: How do you make peace with Palestinians, who as a... 13:56  |  Avi 21/04/08
      45.   HAMASNIKS ARE GETTING "LARGE", THEY 13:58  |  Robert 21/04/08
      46.   How Is this Peace Agreement Enforceable? 14:04  |  Merle 21/04/08
      47.   same ol storey: izzy doesn`t want peace when winning 14:05  |  but 21/04/08
      48.   Carter lost sense of reality 14:10  |  Christoph M 21/04/08
      49.   Johnny 33 You`re wrong. 14:13  |  Michael 21/04/08
      50.   Jimmy the Dhimmi 14:13  |  ATLAS 21/04/08
      51.   the key word here is "TRANSITIONAL" 14:14  |  Vera 21/04/08
      52.   #36 Clickfool 14:14  |  Stephanie 21/04/08
      53.   Next letter form Shalit: No more than propaganda for Hamas 14:15  |  Catholic Israeli 21/04/08
      54.   The Problem: "peace" and the Charters exclude each other 14:16  |  AliciaYasmeen 21/04/08
      55.   Let us hear from the Jewish side 14:23  |  El-Birawi 21/04/08
      56.   Natallie D 14:35  |  Steve 21/04/08
      57.   perhaps jimmy carter can go to switzerland 14:44  |  toblerone 21/04/08
      58.   to the hamas thugs and murderers and butchers 14:50  |  harzion 21/04/08
      59.   From the Jewish side El-Birawi 14:50  |  ATLAS 21/04/08
      60.   Egyptians should have been left alone to broker the deal 14:51  |  Lynn 21/04/08
      61.   #55 El-Birawi 14:52  |  TurkishJew 21/04/08
      62.   EL BIRAWI Israel made its offer Arafat rejected it&chose intifada 15:07  |  PETER SM 21/04/08
      63.   "BUT" you won in Lebanon didn`t you? 15:11  |  PETER SM 21/04/08
      64.   1967 BORDERS 15:13  |  Brant 21/04/08
      65.   indra:Your Jemaah Islamiyah is recognized as TERRORIST GROUP even 15:14  |  Vittorio 21/04/08
      66.   How shall I love thee? 15:14  |  Gideon Reader