ISRAELI-ARAB KNESSET MEMBER URGES HAMAS NOT TO COMPROMISE

MK Bishara warns Hamas against ‘substantial concessions’ (YNET)
Arab Knesset Member Azmi Bishara (Balad) warned Hamas against making any substantial concessions to win the international community’s support.

Bishara’s comments were made during an interview with Jordanian newspaper al-Ra’i prior to the publication of his intention to resign from the Knesset.

“Fatah’s willingness to make concessions during the 1970s and in the framework of the Oslo Accords and the Madrid Conference just so it could remain in power under the (Israeli) occupation hurt the movement,” he said.

The MK called on the Palestinian unity government to avoid political chaos and did not rule out the possibility of a regional war that would include Syria, Lebanon and Iran.

Bishara said the formation of a PA unity government and the revived Arab peace initiative may advance the diplomatic process but would ‘not lead to anything.”

“The Arabs have reached the point where they are making concessions out of the belief that the peace process still exists, despite the fact that there is no evidence of this on the ground,” he said.