Hamas Sets the Record Straight
Apparently there’s been some confusion on the part of the news media about a statement by Hamas “foreign minister” Mahmoud al-Zahar, and he would like to clarify: he still wants to destroy Israel.
GAZA (Reuters) - Palestinian Foreign Minister Mahmoud al-Zahar on Wednesday denied referring to a two-state solution to the Middle East conflict, wording that might have hinted Hamas was recognizing Israel’s right to exist.
A senior Palestinian diplomat at the United Nations said on Tuesday that Zahar, a senior leader of the Islamic militant group, had made the reference in a letter he sent to U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan this week.
But a Hamas official in Gaza told Reuters the wrong letter had been sent. The official said Zahar made changes to an initial draft of the letter, such as deleting references to the two-state solution. The older version was mistakenly sent.
Earlier, Zahar angrily denied referring to a two-state solution in the letter, dated April 4.
“Such a sentence was not used in the letter,” Zahar told Reuters in the Gaza Strip. A version of the letter circulated in Gaza was the updated one.
OK, everyone on the same page now?