Hamas, Jihad reject cease-fire call

Jerusalem Post ^ | Jun. 5, 2003 | LAMIA LAHOUD

[yonif]

Palestinian terrorist groups vowed on Wednesday they would not disarm, defying an appeal by Palestinian Authority Prime Minister Mahmoud Abbas (Abu Mazen issued at the Aqaba summit.

Abbas called for an end to the armed uprising and said the Palestinians denounce terrorism and violence against Israelis "wherever they might be."

"We will never be ready to lay down arms until the liberation of the last centimeter of the land of Palestine," senior Hamas official Abdel Aziz Rantisi told Reuters.

Other terrorist groups also rejected Abbas' comments. A statement issued by the Islamic Jihad said "resistance will continue as long as the Israeli occupation persists." Jamil Majdalani, a member of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, declared "we want to stress that the resistance and the intifada will continue and we will officially inform Abu Mazen."

Abbas is expected to travel to Gaza to meet with Hamas and other terrorist groups shortly after the summit, probably after a PA cabinet meeting in Ramallah on Saturday. Palestinian officials were confident that he would reach a truce with Hamas.

Rantisi, who is considered the local link to the Hamas leadership abroad, made his statement just one day after senior Hamas official Ismail Abu Shannab, a close confidante of Hamas spiritual leader Sheikh Ahmed Yassin, told ABC's Nightline that Hamas will give Abbas a positive answer to his demand for a cease-fire, as long as the United States will offer the Palestinians assurances that the road map will be implemented and will lead to a Palestinian state.

Abu Shannab said Hamas would "definitely" stop attacks on Israelis during a period of negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians. Meanwhile, Hamas spokesman Mahmoud a-Zaher, interviewed on the Al-Jazeeera television, declared that Abbas' statements regarding the suffering of the Jews were unacceptable. "For Abbas to talk about the suffering of the Jews as if it were the Palestinians' fault is totally unnecessary and unacceptable concession," he said. "Our land and people were always generous to the Jews and we have been repaid by expulsion of our people, occupation of our land, and attempts to annihilate us completely."

Meanwhile, IDF soldiers discovered a homemade rocket in the village of El-Khatib, south of Hebron, on Wednesday and blew it up.

There were scattered other incidents in the West Bank and Gaza, including Palestinian gunmen firinng at soldiers in Jenin, the only Palestinian city still under curfew due to intelligence warnings of impending terrorist attacks.

IDF forces also arrested two fugitives in Beit Likya, west of Ramallah, two in Tulkarm, and one in Hebron. Security forces arrested six Palestinian fugitives and detained several suspects for questioning north of Hebron. Margot Dudkevitch contributed to this report.

[yonif]

Look at this game. The PM is going to meet with these terrorist groups instead of cracking down on them. He will probably persuade them to lay low for a little while to get the US to be more confident of the roadmap and to get more US money out of it. What a joke...meeting with the terrorists.

[MEG33]

What a shock...not

[exit82]

Yonif, the game is clear. They won't quit until you and your countrymen are annihilated. And I don't use that word loosely.

Here is where we shall see if Abbas' actions will meet his words. Being a terrorist himself, and dedicated to the same goals, I don't see a change in the situation.

Hamas and Jihad are rabid dogs and need to be taken out. Abbas won't do it. Israel will have to do it. And since they both have American blood on their hands, America should give a big assist.

The end game for Hamas and Jihad and their ilk is the extermination of the State of Israel. We need to stop dancing around the truth. This incrementalism of the "peace process" serves their end, and is just window-dressing.

I applaud my President for his bravery in going to Egypt,Jordan, and Qatar. But we should not be dealing with a terrorist like Abbas.The duplicity of these terrorist leaders saying one thing and doing the opposite has to end.

Thirty years is long enough for this game to go on. New players are needed. If we can't find non terrorist leaders to represent Palestinians, they don't need or deserve a country.

In the meantime, stay safe, and keep letting us know what is happening.

[Sonny M]

Anyone who thinks Abbas is a true moderate is an absolute idiot and I'm sorry to say this, but they deserve to recieve the "darwain award".

[yonif]

Being a terrorist himself, and dedicated to the same goals

Excatly. People don't understand that the PA is really nothing but a change of clothes for the terrorists. The PA is nothing without the PLO. The PLO heads everything and makes policy. The PLO is a terrorist organization which Abbas has been second in command since the mid 1960s. This is my first outrage that Bush would push Israel to meet with such a person. It is a blow to the war on terrorism. We should say end terrorism, then talk, while supporting Israel's fight. On the one hand Cheney says with terrorists no peace treaty, no cease-fire, is possible, and on the other we are pushing an ally to do what we would never do (see Iraq, Afghanistan).

In the meantime, stay safe, and keep letting us know what is happening.

I am currently going to collge in CT. Furthermore, for the summer (where I am right now) I am in Armenia. I plan on going to Israel this summer too to visit my grandma (who lives in Beer-Sheva).

[yonif]

Ping.

[Free ThinkerNY]

Destroy Hamas and Islamic Jihad.

[USMMA_83]

I stand by my statement that this is a ploy by Bush and Co. to finally "out" the Palis. and Arafat. The world will then know that peace with Palistanians is just not possible.

[Go Gordon]

Isn't it about time to take out the trash? These guys are just begging for it.

When Abbas stated today that military action was not the solution, I said to myself: Self, the Pali's are scared shiiteless of being defeated militarily. Therefore, they will go along, to get along - until Israel pulls back and weakens its defenses. Then the bombings will start again. The bargaining will then begin, with the borders already pulled back to the pre-1967 borders.

[Dec31,1999]

I stand by my statement that this is a ploy by Bush and Co. to finally "out" the Palis. and Arafat. The world will then know that peace with Palistanians is just not possible.

I agree. It's a shame that many innocent people will probably die in the process, though.

[Dec31,1999]

It's clear to me that this is what will happen.

[USMMA_83]

Yes, that's politics for you. A cold statement, but unfortunately a true statement.

[Hugin]

The world will then know that peace with Palistanians is just not possible.

The world doesn't give a damn so they will never admit it. They will find a way to blame any failure on Israel, just like they always do.

[yonif]

Just what I was thinking. Good points.

[yonif]

And you want an example that this is what is going to happen? Remember Hizbullah? Since 1982 they have been fighting Israeli occupation of southern lebanon. They committed terrorism, etc. They kept saying that once Israel left, they would stop "military operations." Israel left in 2000, and they are continuing in their "operations". Why, because they say they are now going to continue until Israel stops "occupying" "Palestinian" land. Terrorists are all alike. You give them concessions and they will keep asking for more until you no longer exist. This roadmap is a clear example of this.

[American in Israel]

The world will then know that peace with Palistanians is just not possible.

It was painfully obvious three years ago before a thousand Jews were slaughtered, when Arafat turned down a State with 100% of his demands met. More Jews slaughtered now are not going to change anybody else.

This road map is Bullshirt, and a betrayal of our ally.