Hamas seeks to keep equal distance from all nations

Dubai: A senior Hamas official has denied the Palestinian National Authority's (PNA) charges that the group was trying to form alliances with "regional" countries, saying the group doesn't want to join any camp against another.

Ahmad Yousuf, undersecretary to foreign minister in the ousted Hamas-formed government of Esmail Haniya, also warned against ignoring the group in efforts to achieve peace in the region.

"We have said we want to keep equal distance from all Arab and Muslim countries," Yousuf, who is also political adviser to Haniya, said in an interview with Gulf News. "We don't want to look as if we are with a camp against another."

While the Hamas official expressed the group's "respect to Saudi and Egyptian positions" in supporting the Palestinian cause, he continued that Iran has backed the Palestinians too.

Hamas's relations with non-Arab Iran have raised concerns and suspicion among many Arab and Western governments, including the Palestinian leadership of Mahmoud Abbas. Repeated visits of Hamas officials to Tehran were looked at as part of Iran's "efforts to interfere in the region's affairs". On Tuesday, nine foreign ministers of Arab countries met in Abu Dhabi and renewed support for the Palestinian leadership and the Palestinian Liberation Organisation (PLO).

The most recent visit was by Khalid Mesha'al, Hamas politiburo chief, during which he held talks with the Iranian supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khameini.

"The Palestinian cause is a not for Palestinians alone. It is the cause of the Arab and Muslim nations&We don't want to contradict anybody," Yousuf, who has written 24 books on the Palestinian problem and the relations connecting the Western and Muslim nations, said.

Earlier this month, Mesha'al was quoted as calling for a new Palestinian authority to substitute the Palestine Liberation Organisation (PLO), formed since 1964 and recognised by the Arab countries as the "sole and legitimate representative of the Palestinian people".

Hamas calls have raised eyebrows, despite the fact the PLO is considered by many as relatively inactive after the formation of the Palestinian authority according to the 1993 peace agreement between the Palestinians and Israelis.

"What brother Mesha'al talked about was not a substitute or a replacement organisation," Yousuf said, but rather "a forum where all Palestinian factions not represented in the PLO can find a platform."

Yousuf said the group is still seeking opening new communication channels with the international community.

"We have succeeded in opening some channels, and after the [Israeli] war, we are meeting European parties and we still hope there will be, God willing, a real change in the American politics [with the new administration] and we will witness a more balanced policy, and more desire to communicate with Hamas.

"Because ignoring Hamas is ignoring an actual player to achieve stability, security and peace in the region," Yousuf said.

He renewed Hamas's accusations of the Palestinian National Authority arresting its members and supporters and making statement that reflect badly on the movement.