Bush: No change in US policy on Hamas
US President George Bush said today that Hamas cannot be partner for Middle East peacemaking without renouncing violence, and he reiterated that the United States will not deal with Palestinian leaders who do not recognise Israel’s right to exist.
Bush urged Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas to remain in office after yesterday’s stunning Hamas victory over Abbas’ Fatah faction in Palestinian elections.
“If your platform is the destruction of Israel, it means you’re not a partner in peace, and we’re interested in peace,” Bush told reporters at a news conference.
Bush called the election results a “wake-up call” to the old guard Palestinian leadership, many of whom are holdovers from the days of Yasser Arafat.
The Hamas victory “reminds me about the power of democracy.”
“You see, when you give people the vote, give them the chance to express themselves at the polls and they’re unhappy with the status quo, they’ll let you know.”
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