Ali
02-13-2006, 11:00 AM
The political leader of Palestinian militant group Hamas has said it is willing to take a serious step towards peace if Israel does the same.
Khaled Meshaal told the BBC that Hamas would not renounce violence, saying resisting an occupation was legal.
But he said a long-term truce would be possible if Israel accepted conditions including a return to its 1967 borders.
Israel's acting PM said if he won next month's poll, Israel would retain West Bank settlement blocs and Jerusalem.
However, Ehud Olmert said Israel would be prepared to give up parts of the West Bank where most Palestinians were living. However, Israel believes offers like the latest by Mr Meshaal are a ruse to allow Hamas to gather its strength, since its charter calls for the destruction of the Jewish state, our correspondent says.
Speaking on Channel 2 TV, Mr Olmert said Israel would retain "united Jerusalem", which would include occupied East Jerusalem, if his Kadima party won Israel's general election on 28 March.
But he said Israel would disengage from parts of the West Bank where the population is mostly Palestinian, at the same time as retaining its three main settlement blocs.
Israel has occupied East Jerusalem since 1967. It annexed the area in 1981 and sees it as its exclusive domain.
Under international law the area is considered to be occupied territory.
East Jerusalem is often called Arab East Jerusalem because the majority of its residents are Palestinian, and Palestinians hope to establish their future capital there.Same old story (http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/4692114.stm).
Let's hope both sides compromise and that nobody on either side does anything STUPID!
But you can be sure that there will always be a couple of extremist assholes on both sides who will not accept a compromise. It just takes one person to do something stupid and the whole process will be derailed.
Who do you think will be first to fuck it up?
Khaled Meshaal told the BBC that Hamas would not renounce violence, saying resisting an occupation was legal.
But he said a long-term truce would be possible if Israel accepted conditions including a return to its 1967 borders.
Israel's acting PM said if he won next month's poll, Israel would retain West Bank settlement blocs and Jerusalem.
However, Ehud Olmert said Israel would be prepared to give up parts of the West Bank where most Palestinians were living. However, Israel believes offers like the latest by Mr Meshaal are a ruse to allow Hamas to gather its strength, since its charter calls for the destruction of the Jewish state, our correspondent says.
Speaking on Channel 2 TV, Mr Olmert said Israel would retain "united Jerusalem", which would include occupied East Jerusalem, if his Kadima party won Israel's general election on 28 March.
But he said Israel would disengage from parts of the West Bank where the population is mostly Palestinian, at the same time as retaining its three main settlement blocs.
Israel has occupied East Jerusalem since 1967. It annexed the area in 1981 and sees it as its exclusive domain.
Under international law the area is considered to be occupied territory.
East Jerusalem is often called Arab East Jerusalem because the majority of its residents are Palestinian, and Palestinians hope to establish their future capital there.Same old story (http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/4692114.stm).
Let's hope both sides compromise and that nobody on either side does anything STUPID!
But you can be sure that there will always be a couple of extremist assholes on both sides who will not accept a compromise. It just takes one person to do something stupid and the whole process will be derailed.
Who do you think will be first to fuck it up?