Source: Alalam.ir, 9-12-2006
DAMASCUS, The political leader of Palestinian resistance movement Hamas, Khaled Mashaal, has criticized the Palestinian Authority, saying it is torpedoing national unity talks.
Mashaal blamed the presidency for calling a halt to the talks, saying "you closed the door to dialogue".
The political leader said Hamas has made "a lot of concessions" to forming a new government, but every time it meets with Fatah "we discovered new things aimed at placating the US".
Mashaal was referring to the deadlocked talks with President Mahmud Abbas` Fatah faction on forming a national unity government.
"I say to the Authority -- adopt genuine national positions based on patriotic and not US criteria," Mashaal said during the 39th anniversary of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine in Damascus.
Hamas spokesman in exile Maher al-Taher criticized the presidency`s insistence that the new unity government recognize "Israel" and asked how demands could be made of the Palestinians when "Israel" is rejecting all concessions.
"Why is everyone demanding the recognition of "Israel" when Olmert is rejecting the right of return for Palestinian refugees, rejecting the dismantling of the settlements and rejecting withdrawal from Al-Quds," Taher asked.
"Our people have no need of a government based on the acceptance of American and Zionist diktats," he said.
Palestinian Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh vowed in a speech in Tehran that Hamas will never recognize "Israel" and will continue to fight for the liberation of Al-Quds.
"The world arrogance and Zionists, following the tyrannical siege of the Palestinian nation, want us to recognize the usurpation of the Palestinian lands and stop jihad and resistance and accept the agreements reached with the Zionist enemies in the past."
"I`m insisting from this podium, telling the Islamic Republic and the Islamic Ummah, that these issues won`t materialize," the Palestinian prime minister told ranks of worshipers at the Tehran University campus.
The executive committee of the Palestine Liberation Organization was to hear recommendations Saturday on what action to take after Abbas declared the national unity talks at an end.
The recommendations are expected to include proposals for early elections to both the presidency and parliament in which Hamas won a majority in January elections.