Hamas speaker Ahmad Bahar expressed fury Thursday following the Arab League's decision to approve mediated negotiations between Israel and the Palestinian Authority. As long as Hamas doe not share power in the Palestinian Authority, negotiations with Israel “would not meet any standards of legitimacy,” Bahar said. Hamas and Fatah shared control of the PA until 2007, when bloody fighting for control of Gaza lead to a split between the parties. Fatah now controls the PA based in Judea and Samaria, while Hamas has formed a breakaway PA that rules Gaza after winning the elections there. It is attempting to infiltrate Judea and Samaria and vie for control there as well. Bahar warned PA Chairman Abbas that Hamas supporters would refuse to recognize decisions made in negotiations with Israel as long as Fatah is the sole negotiating party. Bahar also criticized the Arab League, and suggested that the league reconsider its decision. Hamas insists that the land Israel is on belongs to the Muslim world, and that the entire land should be given to PA Arabs. The terrorist group has agreed to observe a tadhiya (temporary calm) at various points, but refuses to sign any permanent treaty with Israel, which it does not recognize and to which it refers as “the Zionist entity.”
