Hamas: Obama will not force Israel recognition

GAZA CITY (Ma'an) -- Hams spokesman Sami Abu Zuhri slammed Sunday US President Barack Obama's speech to the American-Israel Public Affairs Committee, saying a call to the party to recognize Israel would go unanswered.

In Washington, Obama addressed the powerful Jewish lobby group and elaborated on statements made Thursday in his "Arab spring" speech, urging calls to democracy and reform across the region. He re-stated his position that the 1967 armistice lines should be the basis of negotiations between Israel and Palestine, calling a Friday speech where Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu refused the idea as a misunderstanding.

The Hamas spokesman said the speech -- in which Obama called for Palestine's Islamist party to recognize Israel and renounce violence and also reaffirmed his support for Israel and Washington's commitment to go "beyond" regular military assistance to the Jewish state in order to help "maintain Israel's qualitative military edge" -- showed the US administration was "not a friend to the people of the region."

Abu Zuhri said Obama's continued support of Israel showed the US was biased, and would "support the occupation at the expense of the freedom of the Palestinian people."

http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=390109

They're rather like Kim Jong Il. They don't like being overshadowed.

be taken as representative the views of the Palestinians in your opinion?

No one person could possible be taken as representing them all.

The words of Hamas should be taken as representing the position of one of the two major political parties that will be forming the Palestinian unity governing coalition.

They are also currently the de-facto ruling entity in Gaza.

Why not just read what I wrote?

It is pretty clear.

Now he doesn't have to waste any more time on it. The Israelis and Palestinians will never make peace. Somebody will always find a way to up the ante to make sure that peace does not happen. Too many have depended on the current situation for too long to blow it now.

Cut off US aid.

In 2010 it was around $550 million in direct US aid for specific programs, a bit over $100 million in bilateral aid channeled through various organizations, and around $250 million given through the UNRWA. Just under a billion dollars a year. According to the Congressional Research Service.

If you take into account what Europe gives the Palestinians (with no parallel assistance to the Israelis) the aid's about equal. It would certainly hurt.

country that does need it?

oh I forgot, the Palestinians don't have a country, right?

in addition to all the other aid money