[UPI] Joshua Brilliant - Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert signaled Wednesday there would be no agreement with the Palestinians as long as the majority there supports the Islamic Hamas. He did, however, state he would like to continue a dialogue with Mahmoud Abbas. Olmert said that Hamas leader Khaled Mashaal "says openly, publicly and formally in any platform in the world that he doesn't want to negotiate with Israel and he doesn't want to make peace with Israel....The fact that the leader of more than 50 percent of the Palestinian electorate openly says he will do everything to destroy the State of Israel is very sad but it is a reality." Israel cannot sit with someone "who is aiming a gun at your head." Olmert indicated there was no sense in trying to make a deal with someone [like Abbas] who cannot deliver. "A body which does not represent the majority today among the Palestinians will not be able to actually carry out any commitment that will make any such talks valuable and meaningful."
2007-02-22 01:00:00Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive