Abbas finds a potent ally

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By Ed O'Loughlin
Jerusalem
December 1, 2004

Hamas wants to play politics... but how far is the militant group prepared to go?

Interim Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas could have an unlikely ally in his bid to win presidential elections and push through major reforms.

A leading member of the militant group Hamas (Arabic acronym for Islamic Resistance Movement) has indicated that it might be willing to co-operate with Mr Abbas, share power in the Palestinian Authority and halt attacks against Israel during the election period - perhaps way beyond.

If translated into reality, the comments by West Bank religious leader Sheikh Hassan Yousef would add up to a major change of policy for a fundamentalist organisation that still officially recognises neither the state of Israel nor the PA.

But observers say that Sheikh Yousef's apparently moderate language reflects a new desire within the organisation to become more involved in politics - particularly in the wake of the November 11 death of Yasser Arafat - and shake off its international reputation as an extremist terrorist movement.


"I don't think that Hamas wants to put Abu Mazen into a corner," said Dr Ghazi Hamed, editor of the pro-Hamas newspaper al-Resala, referring to Abbas by his nom de guerre. "They don't want to be accused of bringing him down... This is the first time that Hamas is talking about elections and they are talking about them all the time."

http://www.theage.com.au/news/Middle-East-Crisis/Abbas-finds-a-potent-ally/2004/11/30/1101577482684.html