Hamas
ORG
Hamas
Mr. Abbas, in an interview with the Arabic satellite network Al Jazeera, said the participation of Hamas in the Jan. 25 parliamentary elections was a tacit recognition of the Palestinian Authority set up under the 1993 Oslo accords, which also propose a two-state solution with a Palestinian state next to Israel. Hamas calls for Israel's destruction in its charter, but says it could abide by a long-term truce with an Israel within its 1967 boundaries. How Mr. Abbas will square such comments with his own views is unclear, unless Hamas decides to limit its role to a representation in the relatively powerless Palestinian legislature. Mr. Abbas has also promised to disarm Hamas after the elections. Hamas calls for Israel's destruction in its charter but says it could abide by a long-term truce with Israel within its 1967 boundaries. Hamas leaders, most recently Mahmoud Zahar in an interview with The New York Times, said Hamas would refuse to disarm or to recognize Israel and would not recognize agreements between the P.L.O. and Israel in other words, Oslo or any other agreement. Israel will ban campaigning by Hamas candidates, because Hamas is a terrorist organization with an active military wing committed to Israel's destruction, and therefore should not be able to run in the elections at all based on the same Oslo accords Mr. Abbas cites.