The Globe and Mail asked readers to pose question for Hamas. The best were selected and posed to senior Hamas official Ahmed Yousef, an adviser to Ismail Haniyeh, Hamas's prime minister for the Gaza Strip. All questions have been submitted to Mr. Yousef. Here are his answers:
Question: Where is Gilad Shalit? And why won’t Hamas let the Red Cross have access to him?
-- Art Zaltz
Ahmed Yousef: The relevant individuals involved in discussions are addressing this question. Hamas cannot allow the Red Cross to have access to Gilad Schalit due to the compromising position this would put the Red Cross in. Knowledge of his whereabouts could compromise the position of a valued international organisation in the Gaza Strip.
Question: If Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu "recognized" Palestine as an independent, sovereign state with the right to exist with safe and secure borders, would Hamas reciprocate?
-- Lora Lucero of Albuquerque, New Mexico
Ahmed Yousef: After watching Netanyahu’s speeches to the U.S. Congress and AIPAC in the past month it is clear that this is not a possibility whilst he remains in power. On our behalf, we are committed to advancing the Palestinian cause. We have demonstrated this with the achievement of reconciliation between the various Palestinian factions; Hamas collectively made some difficult decisions for the greater good of the people. We will not talk about inconceivable “what ifs” when we have taken practical measures to achieve a united Palestinian voice.
Question: Why is the money you receive from other countries being poured into weapons to kill innocent civilians in Israel, instead of being used to improve the quality of life of your citizens?
-- Sheryl Danilowitz, Toronto
Ahmed Yousef: This is simply not true. We are working hard to build the capacities of our people under an inhumane and illegal siege. Those who visit the Gaza Strip witness the extensive training programmes we have for all parts of our society. Attacks on Gaza regularly result in the deaths of civilians, including children and the elderly. Surely the more pertinent question here is why the United States and others are allowing their financial aid to be spent on supporting an army who kill innocent civilians.
Question: Why has Hamas never cancelled the part of its charter that calls for the total annihilation of Israel? Why should Israel be expected to negotiate "peace" with Hamas on that background?
-- Jonathan Danilowitz, Tel Aviv, Israel, and Jan and Mark Lapedus, Toronto
Answer: The charter was written at a time of great strife during the first intifada of 1987. A group should be judged on its actions and statements in context. Anyone who follows the news and comments of Hamas in recent times will understand the movement’s current stance. With Hamas being a social mass movement it is impracticable to suggest a document written twenty-four years ago governs its every belief. If Israel wants to negotiate for peace with the Palestinian people then it has to speak with their elected representatives. It is not about negotiating with one group or another, but with those who the people choose to represent them.
Question: Some of my friends are joining the next flotilla to challenge Israel's naval blockade of Gaza. Do you welcome this action even if most of the participants don't share your religion or social values?
-- Elizabeth Guthrie, Toronto
Answer: Of course we welcome all individuals and groups who show solidarity with the Palestinian people. The flotillas are an important symbol of international support for our cause. The siege is a focal point of the brutal oppression carried out by the occupation; each and every attempt to break it is extremely important to us.
Q: What does “peace” mean to you?
-- Mary Lou Cronin
A: Peace for the Palestinian people means returning to our homes, administering our own nation and being able to freely live on our land. It means living within a Palestinian state with fair, safe and secure borders free from occupation.
Q: Ever since 1948 a lot of Jews fled Arab countries and were welcomed and assimilated in Israel; yet the Palestinians were not particularly welcomed, and certainly not assimilated in Arab countries. How do you feel about this double standard?
