Zahhar, Annan, China

So Palestinian FM Mahmoud Zahhar has sent an intriguing letter to UN chief Kofi Annan. In the portions of the text seen by the AFP reporter, Zahhar assures Annan that,

    “We are looking for freedom and independence side by side with our neighbours and we are ready for serious discussions with the quartet… We look forward to living in peace and security, as all countries in the world, and that our people enjoy freedom and independence side-by-side with all our neighbours in this holy place.”

Note that he does not say that the PA government is ready for any kind of discussions with Israel.
The letter does mention the two-state solution that is favored by the international community, including the Quartet of the US, UN, EU, and Russia. But it does not express any actual attitude toward the concept, either for or against. It merely notes that, “Israeli procedures in the occupied territories will put an end to all hopes to reach a final settlement based on the two-state solution.”
Of course, if the Hamas-led government is really prepared to live, “in peace and security… side-by-side with all our neighbours”, you would think that should include Israel. But he’s not spelling it out.
Soon, anyway, Zahhar will be off to visit China.
China’s representative to the Palestinians, Yang Wei Guo, reportedly

    said that China respects the “democratic” choice of the Palestinians, referring to Hamas’ election victory two months ago.
    “We discussed the joint relations and the bilateral projects and we hope to continue and strengthen the cooperation and friendship in the future,” he said. “China was and will continue to support the Palestinian people in their legitimate struggle to restore their national rights.”

8 thoughts on “Zahhar, Annan, China”

  1. The letter does mention the two-state solution that is favored by the international community, including the Quartet of the US, UN, EU, and Russia.
    Not according to Zahhar:
    Palestinian Foreign Minister and senior Hamas leader Mahmoud al-Zahar on Wednesday denied referring to a two-state solution to the Middle East conflict, wording that might have hinted at Israel’s right to exist.
    http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/702504.html

  2. JES,
    Helena is grasping at straws to make the Jihadist government of HAMAS not seem quite as terrible as it really is.

  3. Recently, Israel cancelled a weapons deal with China that would have upgraded China’s pilotless aircraft. I wonder if extending the invitation to Hamas is China’s way of getting even?
    On the other hand, the Jerusalem Post also carried a denial of the invitation:

    Chinese embassy spokesman Lu Jing on Tuesday denied Hamas Palestinian Authority foreign minister Mahmoud al-Zahar’s claim that he had been invited to China.

    in this article online.
    Lu Jing is the Chinese Ambassador to Israel, and Yang Wei Guo is the Chinese representative to the PA. Apparently they don’t agree. I googled xinhuanet on the topic, hoping for a resolution, but I couldn’t find an article on the subject.

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