Source: Reuters
Apr 01, 2007
Hamas has threatened to end its charade of relative moderation and revert to openly seeking Israel's demise if the international community does not start sending money soon.
Speaking to Muslim worshipers at a Gaza mosque last Friday, Hamas Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh claimed that his government had done everything asked by the international community when it forged a unity coalition with Mahmoud Abbas' Fatah.
Now, said Haniyeh, the world must respond by ending the economic siege of the Hamas-led Palestinian Authority, or Hamas will be forced to rethink its current policies.
A US-led economic embargo against the PA has been in place since Hamas took power last year.
Western powers promised to end the sanctions if Hamas explicitly recognized Israel's right to exist and renounced the use of terrorism.
Hamas did neither when it signed a power-sharing agreement with Abbas and Fatah. In fact, the platform of the new government safeguards the right of "Palestinian" groups to employ terrorism against Israel.