Reuters reports:
Hamas’s prime minister-designate Ismail Haniyeh on Sunday denied he had suggested the Palestinian Islamist group might one day recognize Israel, saying there was only a possibility of achieving a long-term truce.
Hamas chose Haniyeh, a 43-year-old Gazan viewed by many Palestinians as a pragmatist, as the new prime minister after its election victory on January 25. The militant Islamist group hopes to form a Palestinian government within two weeks.
The Washington Post newspaper, on its Web site, quoted Haniyeh as saying in an interview: “If Israel declares that it will give the Palestinian people a state and give them back all their rights, then we are ready to recognize them.”
But Haniyeh told reporters in Gaza that he “did not tackle the issue of recognizing (Israel) in my interview with the Washington Post.”
Reiterating a long-standing position by Hamas, Haniyeh said the group would never recognize Israel but could agree to a long-term truce if Israel withdrew from lands captured in the 1967 war, freed prisoners and allowed the return of refugees.
That’s ok. Despite Hamas refusing to recognize Israel, I recognize Hamas.
I recognize Hamas as a terrorist organization bent on Israel’s destruction.
I recognize Hamas as the killers of men, women, and children.
I recognize Hamas as my enemy.
I recognize Hamas as a threat to world stability.
I recognize Hamas as haters of Jews and Christians.
The question is: does the world recognize Hamas as well?
