Top PA diplomat: Hamas can be incorporated into PLO if it recognizes Israel, drops military wing
Jacob Magid is The Times of Israel's US bureau chief
Palestinian Authority Foreign Minister Riyad al-Maliki says Hamas can join the Palestine Liberation Organization if it recognizes Israel and drops its military wing.
“If they agree to our conditions that they have to… accept all international resolutions pertaining to Palestine,” Maliki begins saying in an interview with Euronews.
The PA foreign minister is then cut off by the interviewer who asks whether this also means Hamas would have to recognize Israel as the PLO has done.
“Yes, absolutely… We cannot just… ignore Israel’s existence while Israel is there already occupying the whole of Gaza and continuing to occupy… the West Bank and East Jerusalem,” Maliki responds.
“If Hamas comes to agree on all these terms, then we will do our utmost in order to incorporate them and to turn Hamas into a political party without any military wing,” he adds.
While they are both headed by Mahmoud Abbas, the PLO is supposed to be distinct from the PA, with the former serving as the umbrella political body representing Palestinians worldwide and the latter acting as the governing entity in parts of the West Bank.
Palestinian Foreign Minister Riyad al-Maliki: We will accept Hamas joining the Palestine Liberation Organization if they agree to our conditions regarding international legitimacy and, undoubtedly, regarding the state of Israel. pic.twitter.com/RghctArwyE
— Ihab Hassan (@IhabHassane) January 23, 2024
