As the title implies, that’s the direction an intransigent Hamas wants to take the Palestinian position vis-a-vis Israel, by its repeated refusal to moderate its party’s platform and recognize the Jewish state.
The reference to Khartoum in this context, is due to the striking similarity that exists between the present day stance of Hamas, and Arab rejectionism of Israel that came in the wake of the Arab defeat in the 67′ war. It’s embodied in the Khartoum conference’s infamous declaration of the ”Three No’s”, “no peace with Israel, no recognition of Israel, no negotiations with it”.
The very undiplomatic language used by the Arabs back then in the sixties, has now found its way back into the Arab lexicon with Hamas’ own “Three No’s”, of “no cessation of violence with Israel, no recognition of Israel, no recognition of signed negotiated agreements with Israel.”
The Associated Press recently reported that Hamas’ political bureau head, Moussa Abu Marzouk, stated at a Palestinian rally at the Yarmouk refugee camp near Damascus,
“that US policy was based on sowing sedition among the peoples and states of the region through dividing the Middle East into two camps: A moderate camp and a non-moderate one.”
Since Hamas’ position regarding Israel can’t be described as being moderate, Marzouk’s statement can only be interpreted as a desire to see the Arab League’s policies vis-a-vis Israel resemble that of the Hamas’. Moussa Abu Marzouk wants the Arab League to “dust off” its “Three No’s” Khartoum declaration, and follow the Hamas’ example of rejecting Israel.
This is the reason why the continuance of the Quartet’s boycott of the Hamas government is of the utmost importance. Any sign that the West is willing to concede to the intransigence of Hamas’ Three No’s, sends a dangerous signal to other non-moderate elements in the capitals of the Arab League, that perhaps the Khartoum declaration is an option once again. *L* KGS
