[Dr. Aaron Lerner - IMRA: Most of the coverage of the offer (see Haaretz
item after Ma'an item) does not mention that Meshal insists on the right to
flood Israel with refugees during the 10 year hudna.]

Mash'al: Hamas agrees to Palestinian state but will not recognise Israel
Date: 22 / 04 / 2008 Time: 09:34
www.maannews.net/en/index.php?opr=ShowDetails&ID=28875

Bethlehem - Ma'an - Hamas agrees to the establishment of a Palestinian state
on the Palestinian territories which Israel occupied in 1967 if the
Palestinian people accept this in a referendum. But Hamas will not recognize
Israel, Khalid Mash'al, chief of Hamas politburo, said on Monday.

"We accept a Palestinian state within the borders of June 4 1967 with
Jerusalem as its capital, and with real sovereignty free of any Israeli
settlements and including the right of return for Palestinian refugees in
diaspora, but without recognizing Israel," Mash'al told a press conference
in Damascus.

On Sunday Mash'al held talks with former US president Jimmy Carter in
Damascus in what the US and Israel see as a controversial meeting. Carter
presented Mash'al with a memorandum outlining a number of proposals,
including Hamas abide by a unilateral ceasefire for a period of 30 days, a
"rapid exchange of prisoners" with an early transfer of captured Israeli
soldier Gilad Shalit and the reopening of the Rafah border crossing.

Carter told journalists in Jerusalem on Monday that Hamas was prepared to
negotiate a government of national concensus with a unified security force
for the West Bank and Gaza.

Commenting on his discussions with Carter, Mash'al said, "We respect the
Palestinian people's will which is expressed democratically through
elections, a referendum or a legally elected national council, even if the
Palestinian people's choice is against our beliefs."

Mash'al added that Hamas told Carter they would not agree on a unilateral
ceasefire because that had not worked in the past. He added that Hamas would
go ahead with indirect negotiations with Israel over a prisoner exchange.
========
Meshal offers 10-year truce for Palestinian state on '67 borders
By Barak Ravid, Haaretz Correspondent and News Agencies Last update - 23:13
21/04/2008
www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/976662.html

Hamas' political leader Khaled Meshal on Monday said Hamas would accept a
Palestinian state in the West Bank and Gaza Strip along Israel's pre-1967
borders, and would grant Israel a 10-year hudna, or truce, as an implicit
proof of recognition if Israel withdraws from those areas.

Meshal's comments were one of the clearest outlines Hamas has given for what
it would do if Israel withdrew from the territories it captured in the 1967
Six Day War. He suggested Hamas would accept Israel's existence alongside a
Palestinian state on the rest of the lands Israel has held since 1948.

However, Meshal told reporters in Damascus that Hamas would not formally
recognize Israel.

"We agree to a [Palestinian] state on pre-67 borders, with Jerusalem as its
capital with genuine sovereignty without settlements but without recognizing
Israel," Meshaal said.

"We have offered a truce if Israel withdraws to the 1967 borders, a truce of
10 years as a proof of recognition," he said. He said he made the offer to
former U.S. President Jimmy Carter during talks Friday and Saturday in the
Syrian capital.