A Hamas leader welcomes Egyptian call for dialogue between Palestinian factions

Tuesday June 26, 2007 20:03 by IMEMC Staff

Dr. Mousa Abu Marzouq, vice-president of the Hamas political bureau, welcomed the Egyptian president’s call for internal dialogue between the Palestinian factions in order to end the internal clashes and disputes which escalated recently.

Dr. Mousa Abu Marzouq

Translated By  Saed Bannoura - IMEMC

Abu Marzouq stated on Tuesday that Monday’s statements of Hosni Mubarak, are welcomed by Hamas since the movement always stressed on the importance of these talks since the beginning of the crisis in the Gaza Strip.  

On Monday Egypt hosted a summit that brought together the Palestinian president, Mahmoud Abbas, Israeli Prime Minister, Ehud Olmert, King Abdullah of Jordan, and the Egyptian president.

The Hamas leader slammed the statements of Abbas during the summit especially when he addressed Olmert as a partner, and considered this statement as partnering with Olmert against Hamas movement.

Marzouq added that that Abbas “repeated the demands of the occupation, and even stressed on them, regarding disarming the resistance, and forgot the core of the Palestinian cause, such as the issue of the refugees”.

He also said that Olmert is still pushing his army “to commit more crimes against the Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank”.

Commenting on the speech of Olmert during the summit, Abu Marzouq said that “the occupation government does not want to be held responsible for the crimes of its army”, and added that Olmert’s speech “placed the victim and the victimizers on the same line, while on the ground, the army is still committing crimes against the Palestinian people and using different sorts of weapons against them”.

He added that “Olmert did not propose any real measure that would implement the Palestinian demands”, and that Olmert did not propose halting the construction of the illegal annexation wall, or halt the construction and expansion of the settlements in the occupied West Bank.

Abu Marzouq also said that Olmert insulted Abbas when he considered him as the leader of Fateh, and not as the Palestinian leader, when he suggested to release some Fateh detainees.

Commenting on the speech of the Jordanian monarch when he said that the parties should not waste the current opportunity for peace, Abu Marzouq stated that he repeatedly analyzed Olmert’s speech and did not see any opportunity or any real offer for peace.

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