A report by the Hamas-affiliated Palestinian Information Center (PIC) voiced the group's firm disapproval of statements made by Sen. Barack Obama during his speech at AIPAC's annual policy conference on Wednesday. While some suggest that the Arab world was 'shocked’ by his comments, Hamas took particular offense to how the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee stated that Jerusalem would remain “the undivided capital of Israel.”
The fate of Jerusalem is a touchy subject. Arguments for some Palestinian control of the holy city have come into play in past peace negotiations since Israel took over East Jerusalem in the aftermath of the 1967 Six-Day War, which effectively extended its control to cover the entire city.
In response to Obama's comments, the PIC quotes an unnamed Hamas representative as saying, “Although we recognize that some of the statements given by the nominees for the American presidency are within the context of the electoral campaign and its competitors, and the nominees are usually bent on winning voters for their side, the Hamas movement does not accept that the rights of the Palestinian people are subject to the American electoral ‘auction’, and thus expresses its utter disapproval and refusal of what was put forth in statements given by Barack Obama…”
What's interesting about Hamas's response is not the fact that the group unsurprisingly disagreed with Obama's comments, but that the official then goes on to point out, much like the candidate's own political adversaries, Obama's relative lack of experience in politics in an attempt to discredit his stance on the issue.
The Hamas official states, “What's necessary for Obama to recognize… this novice young man in politics, is that rights are not nullified… and the settler colonization needs to cease…What ancient and contemporary history has confirmed is that colonial powers [come to] an end… Jerusalem will be – with the Almighty's permission – the undivided capital of Palestine.”
It seems that Hamas feels it necessary to give the young presidential hopeful a history lesson of sorts from their school of thought. However, Obama's immediate ‘backtracking’ on his comments at the AIPAC conference shouldn't be taken as an indication that he's adhering to Hamas's advice, but rather as a sign that the candidate – following widespread Palestinian criticism – has perhaps come to appreciate the sensitivity of the issue and its importance to any future peace settlement.
