Israel reacted with caution Sunday to comments by PA prime minister-designate Ismail Haniyeh, who said in an interview with the Washington Post that his Hamas movement might recognize Israel under a future deal conditioned on a withdrawal to pre-1967 war borders.
On his part, Israel's education minister Meir Sheetrit told Army Radio Sunday, "I wish they would change their positions... They (Hamas) may be starting to speak another language."
If Hamas were to accept Israel's conditions to recognize Israel and renounce violence, "we won't have any trouble speaking to Hamas, and to reach a settlement," Sheetrit added.
The Israeli defense minister, however, expressed a more radical approach to the recent statements of Haniyeh. "Hamas is trying to mislead the international community, to sweet-talk it and to exhibit an appearance of responsibility," Shaul Mofaz told U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs C. David Welch on Sunday.
"The simple fact is that they have not accepted any of the four rules, and this indicates their true intentions," Mofaz told Walch, according to Haaretz. Mofaz also warned that Hamas' recent contacts with Iran may formalize Tehran's control of the Palestinian Authority.
