Hamas accepts independent state on 1967 borders: Official

Jan 21, 2010, 13:24 GMT

Gaza - A senior Hamas leader in the West Bank said Thursday that the Islamist organization was prepared to accept 'temporarily' an independent Palestinian state in the territories occupied by Israel in the 1967 Middle East War.

But Mahmoud al-Ramahi told the Gaza-based pro-Islamic Jihad broadcaster al-Quds Radio that this did not mean Hamas would recognize the Jewish state.

'For Hamas, this solution is transitional, we temporarily accept a Palestinian state on 1967 borders without recognizing Israel and without giving up our legitimate right in the territories of 1948 (Israel),' he said, repeating the known Hamas view.

On Thursday, the Jerusalem Post Daily reported that Hamas Parliament Speaker Aziz Dweik said the organization has accepted Israel's right to exist and would be prepared to nullify its charter, which calls for the Jewish state's destruction.

According to al-Ramahi, 'Hamas accepts a transitional or temporary solution only for a long-term truce with Israel and not for accepting the right of Israel to exist on our Palestinian land.'

'If the world recognizes a Palestinian state on the 1967 borders this doesn't mean that Hamas would recognize the state of Israel and give up our people's rights in the land of historic Palestine (Israel),' he said.

Hamas, which is listed by the United States and Europe among the world's terrorist organizations, calls in its charter for the destruction of the state of Israel, refuses to recognize the Jewish state and the signed peace agreements.

'Hamas is facing American and European pressure to change its charter, but it will not yield to this pressure, contrary to the Palestine Liberation Organization, which agreed to change its charter in 1993,' al-Ramahi stated.