More lies on the prisoners’ document

The Guardian is touting an “about-turn” for Hamas’ position on Israel’s existence. The reason? They’re prepared to agree to the so-called prisoners’ document. Get a load of this breathless prose:

Hamas performs about-turn on Israeli state

• Document recognises Israel’s right to exist
• Shift away from founding goal of an Islamic state

Hamas has made a major political climbdown by agreeing to sections of a document that recognise Israel’s right to exist and a negotiated two-state solution, according to Palestinian leaders.

Two words to say: Li-ars.

The document does not recognize Israel, either implicitly or explicitly. It merely tries to convince the current factions to pull together as one to destroy the state of Israel, using the old standbys such as “right of return” to flood Israel with palestinians so that it will, in effect, cease to exist.

From the document:

Based on a high sense of national and historical responsibility, and owing to the dangers facing our people and for the sake of reinforcing and consolidating the Palestinian internal front and protection of national unity and the unity of our people in the homeland and in the Diaspora, and in order to confront the Israeli scheme that aims to impose the Israeli solution which shatters the dream of our people and the right of our people in establishing their independent Palestinian state with full sovereignty; this scheme that the Israeli government intends to impalement in the next phase as establishment of the erection and completion of the apartheid wall and the Judaization of the Jerusalem and the expansion of the Israeli settlements and the seizure of the Jordan Valley and the annexation of vast areas of the West Bank and blocking the path in front of our people to exercise their right in return.

In order to maintain the accomplishments of our people achieved in long struggle path and in loyalty to the martyrs of our great people and the pains of their prisoners and the agony of their injured, and based on the fact that we are still passing through a liberation phase with nationalism and democracy as the basic features, and this imposes a political struggle strategy that meets with these features and in order to make the Palestinian comprehensive national dialogue succeed, and based on the Cairo Declaration and the urgent need for unity and solidarity, we present this document (the national conciliation document) ….

See anything there on recognizing Israel? No. Because that’s not what the document is for. This is what it’s for. That reference to the Cairo Declaration? This is what it says, in part:

(6) Those gathered felt unanimously that dialogue is the sole means of interaction among all the factions, as a support to national unity and the unity of the Palestinian ranks.

It was a meeting of terrorists, and its purpose was to stop factional fighting so that everyone could get on with their real goal, which, of course, is:

(1) Those gathered confirmed their adherence to Palestinian principles, without any neglect, and the right of the Palestinian people to resistance in order to end the occupation, establish a Palestinian state with full sovereignty with Jerusalem as its capital, and the guaranteeing of the right of return of refugees to their homes and property.

Once again, that much-touted “right of return of refugees”—all UN-declared five million of ’em. Into Israel. Into the homes they fled. That is what the “right of return” is: It’s a call for the displacement of millions of Israelis with millions of palestinian descendants of the original 700,000 refugees. And the prisoner’s document says as much, and also touts unanimity.

Hoping to consider this document as one whole package and with the hope to see this document get unanimous support and approval and that it can contribute to reach a Palestinian national conciliation document.

This is all about stopping the war between Fatah and Hamas, and not at all about recognizing Israel, or renouncing Hamas’ goals. Those are all lies being spread by the feckless, asinine reporters who seemingly can’t read English well enough to comprehend that the document says no such thing. And now, the Guardian passes along palestinian propaganda, using the carefully-prepared talking points that say that which is not:

Yasser Abed Rabbo, a member of the Palestine Liberation Organisation’s executive committee and a lead negotiator on the prisoners’ document, said Hamas had agreed to sections which call for a negotiated and final agreement with Israel to establish a Palestinian state on the territories occupied in 1967, including East Jerusalem.

“Hamas is prepared to accept those parts of the document because they think it is a way to get rid of a lot of its problems with the international community. That’s why it will accept all the document eventually,” he said.

They don’t even pretend to lie about why they’re doing it. He says, quite plainly, that they are going to agree to the document because they want the world to give them money, and they think this is how to achieve that. The document does not call for recognition of Israel at all. Once more, the prisoner’s document:

1- the Palestinian people in the homeland and in the Diaspora seek to liberate their land and to achieve their right in freedom, return and independence and to exercise their right in self determination, including the right to establish their independent state with al-Quds al-Shareef as its capital on all territories occupied in 1967 and to secure the right of return for the refugees and to liberate all prisoners and detainees based on the historical right of our people on the land of the fathers and grandfathers and based on the UN Charter and the international law and international legitimacy.

Sure, it calls for a state based on the 1967 borders. But it also adds the “right of return” into the mix. This is not a “peace” plan. this is a “next stage in the war” plan. It is also a non-starter, because Israel has never, and will never, agree to let millions of descendants of refugees settle in Israel.

Here’s the biggest lie of all, which is supported by absolutely no evidence:

Hamas, facing a deep internal split over recognition of the Jewish state, declined to discuss the negotiations in detail. If it formally approves the entire document, it will represent a significant shift from its founding goal of replacing Israel with an Islamic state and its more recent position of agreeing a long-term ceasefire, over a generation or more, if a Palestinian state is formed on the occupied territories but without formally recognising the Jewish state.

The Guardian may enjoy engaging in wishful thinking, but wishing doesn’t make it so. This is simply another path in the war to destroy Israel. If Hamas agrees to the document (and I still don’t think they will), it will be only to prevent civil war and gather their forces for another assault on Israel. They believe only in destroying the state of Israel and replacing it with an Islamic caliphate. Anyone who tells you otherwise is lying, either deliberately or because they are naive or misinformed.

The reason I think this will fail is because the PA is still trying to turn the document into a referendum on new elections. I know it’s a great leap to intuit that, what with having read this quote:

Mr Abed Rabbo said the July 26 referendum would be called off if there was agreement on the document, but that a ballot could be held later if Hamas blocked the formation of a new government or failed to agree on a negotiations policy.

The other main point of the Cairo declaration and the prisoners’ document: The PLO is the sole representative of the palestinian people. Hamas is not a part of the PLO. It is, put plainly, a grab for power that I suspect Hamas will refuse.

Countdown to seeing an article with quotes from top Hamas leaders saying reports of an agreement on the document are untrue starts: Now.