Abbas brands Hamas a "dark force" during Arafat commemoration

Sunday November 11, 2007 18:35 by John Smith - IMEMC & agencies

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas on Sunday described the Hamas movement as a "dark force," insisting that he would refuse to re-establish dialogue with the organization until it relinquished the gains made in its "black coup."

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas

Speaking at a commemorative rally for the late Palestinian President Yasser Arafat in Ramallah, Abbas accused Hamas of betraying Arafat's legacy and seeking to destroy the future of the Palestinian people.

"These forces of darkness will not be able to hijack our history or close the windows to our future...Hamas cannot erase Arafat's achievements," Abbas said.

Abbas spoke also of his hopes for the Annapolis conference, describing the summit as an "historic opportunity" for peace in the region, and adding that the Palestinian Authority remained committed to the establishment of a Palestinian state with Jerusalem as its capital, the removal of all West Bank settlements and military checkpoints, the destruction of the "ugly apartheid wall," the return of land occupied in 1967, and a "just solution" to the issue of Palestinian refugees.

The commemorative rally will be followed by a similar ceremony in Gaza city on Monday.

ramallah | palestinian politics | news report johnsmithimemc at gmail dot com