THE AUSTRALIAN: HAMAS political leader Khaled Meshaal yesterday praised the uprisings in Egypt and Tunisia and expressed the hope that they would pave the way for a more militant stance towards Israel.
The Islamic organisation has hitherto taken a cautious position regarding the events unfolding in the Arab world, apparently because of uncertainty about how they would develop. "The people in Egypt and Tunisia have given us back our lives," Mr Meshaal said in Sudan where he is attending a conference. "Today we are witnessing Cairo returning to its natural state after it disappeared from that state for a long time."
Egypt's ousted president Hosni Mubarak had adopted a tough stance towards Hamas, fearing its links with Egypt's Muslim Brotherhood.
The Damascus-based Hamas leader urged that his organisation and the secular Fatah Party unite on the basis of jihad towards Israel.
"The first step (towards liberating Jerusalem) is refusal to negotiate with Israel and to establish a new, reconciled Palestinian position based on jihad." >>> Abraham Rabinovich, Jerusalem | Tuesday, March 08, 2011
