The chief of Hamas Political Bureau, Khaled Meshaal, on Wednesday said the issue of negotiating with the enemy is sensitive and affects many people.
He said in an interview with the Jordanian newspaper Sabil: "There is no dispute that negotiating with enemies is acceptable, especially since there are some stages in the conflict between enemies that might require negotiation. Negotiation is a tool and a means which can be acceptable and legitimate in a given moment, but may be rejected and banned in another moment." And he continued: "If the resistance with its honor and ability is a means and not an end, does it make sense to make the negotiation the very sole option?"
Meshaala went on to say: "The case of the conflict with the Israeli occupation is different. A foreign plant comes to the region and imposes himself on the land and people. Local people were displaced from their land and were replaced by migrants from the diaspora. Therefore, this is a complicated situation, which should be dealt with a sensitive manner."
Criticizing the Palestinian Authority, he said: "The Palestinian negotiator says: negotiation is the only option and thus coordinates security issues with the enemy, applies the road map and security requirements for free, without asking Israel anything in return. What can force Olmert or Netanyahu to give something in return??.
"In the case of Palestine, I say that negotiating with Israel is a wrong choice. Hamas was offered to negotiate with "Israel" but rejected this. Its leaders were offered to meet with Israeli leaders, some of them in power, but Hamas has rejected those offers.
