Israel: Armed, political Hamas will prevent peace talks
Israel will not move forward in the US-backed road map peace plan if Hamas participates in Palestinian legislative elections without disarming, an aide to Prime Minister Ariel Sharon said today.
The Islamic militant Hamas has refused to surrender its weapons, but has agreed to halt attacks on Israel as part of a truce deal negotiated by Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas.
Sharon aide Raanan Gissin said a truce is not enough in order to move forward on the three-stage road map plan, and that Palestinian militants must disarm.
“We are not getting involved in Palestinian politics, but we are saying that if Hamas participates in the elections and remains an armed group then we won’t be able to advance in the peace process,” Gissin said.
Gissin said the Palestinians cannot move toward democracy if they have a group with a “private army” participating in the July election.
Sami Abu Zuhri, a Hamas spokesman in Gaza, said his group would not disarm and demanded Israel stay out of internal Palestinian affairs, such as the election.
“The Palestinian resistance rifles are legal but the occupation and its rifles are illegal because they are occupiers and invaders,” Abu Zuhri said.
“The Palestinian election is an internal Palestinian issue and such a statement by the Israelis is an interference in the Palestinian internal affairs that we cannot accept,” he added.
In the first stage of the road map, the Palestinians must dismantle militant groups and Israel must freeze construction in Jewish settlements. Neither side has met its obligations.
