CAIRO: An adviser to President Hosni Mubarak said on Tuesday the Palestinian Islamist group Hamas would be wrong to make unilateral concessions to Israel and Western calls for it do so were unfair. Presidential adviser Osama El-Baz, who met Hamas leaders last month, also said the Islamist group, which is forming the next Palestinian government, would be willing to talk to Israel. The Hamas charter calls for the destruction of the Jewish state. They are not going to give anything ahead of time and gratis. They would be fools to do that. But they will be willing to give and take, Baz told Reuters in an interview. The United States and European Union have threatened to cut aid to the Palestinian Authority unless Hamas renounces violence and recognizes Israel. The West, or Europe and the U.S., are being unfair because they are asking Hamas to make concessions to a party that is not going to make any concessions to them, Baz said. Israel says it will not negotiate with a government led by Hamas, which carried out nearly 60 suicide bombings against Israelis since a Palestinian uprising erupted in 2000. Hamas has largely abided by a truce declared last year. Hamas leaders have said they see no point in peace talks with Israel. Since it swept January legislative elections, Hamas has repeatedly said recognizing the Jewish state is not on its agenda. Baz, the main political adviser to Mubarak, said Israel should contact Hamas. Israel would be well advised to give the new Palestinian government a chance, he said. If you don t want to contact them now, contact them at a certain point through third parties. But if you simply scare everybody away from them, telling them that they are a bunch of terrorists, before you speak to them, that means you are really not interested in reaching an accommodation with them, he said. Egypt in 1979 became the first Arab state to make peace with Israel. Baz said the Hamas leaders told him they accepted the idea of a two-state solution to the Palestinian-Israeli conflict. I said Do you recognize the principle of living in two states? They said Yes ... What, where, how, that is subject to negotiations, he said. Hamas told Baz In a process of mutual concessions, everything is possible, he said. They left my office giving me the impression that they are not committed to the continuation of violence, he said. Baz said Hamas also told him: We don t want to destroy or demolish Israel. Israeli Interim Prime Minister Ehud Olmert has hinted he would evacuate isolated West Bank settlements while cementing Israel s hold on major blocs if peace efforts remain frozen. Olmert s Kadima Party is expected to win Israeli elections this month. This is a step in right direction, Baz said of West Bank withdrawals. Afterwards you d have to sit down and negotiate because unless you are willing to give and take with another party how can you have peace? he asked. Reuters
