‘HAMAS INVESTS ALL ITS RESOURCES IN DESTROYING ISRAEL’:

 Israel responded with skepticism to reports that Hamas intends to remove the call for the destruction of Israel from the new policy document it is formulating. "We see that Hamas continues to invest all its resources not only in preparations for war against Israel, but also in educating the children of Gaza to annihilate Israel," the prime minister's office said Monday evening 1 May 2017. "The day Hamas stops digging tunnels and diverts its resources to civilian infrastructure and stops educating to kill Israelis, it will be a real change," Netanyahu's office said in response to the reports that Hamas is seeking a new direction. Internal Security Minister Gilad Erdan added that "the political platform” published by Hamas is a false representation and a public relations exercise whose only purpose is to enlist international legitimacy. In practice, Hamas continues to promote terrorist attacks and wild incitement calling for the murder of Israelis and continues to refuse to recognize Israel's right to exist. The international community must not treat the Hamas platform as a change in the policy of the movement, Erdan said.

Arab media reported Monday afternoon that Hamas would remove the call to destroy Israel from the movement's policy, in order to improve relations with the Gulf states and Egypt. In addition, Hamas will reportedly declare support for a Palestinian Arab state along the 1967 lines without recognizing Israel's right to exist. Observers say that Hamas’ acceptance of a Palestinian state along pre-1967 borders as "a national consensus” indicates that Hamas is positioning itself to make territorial compromises with Israel. However, Hamas makes clear throughout the document that it is not prepared to make such a compromise. "Hamas rejects any alternative to the full and complete liberation of Palestine, from the river to the sea,” the document states. It also says that Hamas refuses to recognize Israel. "There shall be no recognition of the legitimacy of the Zionist entity,” the document reads. Taken together, Hamas’ rejection of territorial compromise and recognizing Israel leaves no room to believe it is moving in the direction of making concessions to Israel. (J.Post)