The leader of the Hamas government in Gaza said on Friday that US President George W Bush’s
visit to the region proved his
bias toward Israel and hurt Palestinian aspirations for a state of their own.
Ismail Haniyeh spoke to reporters after Friday prayers as Bush wrapped up a three-day
visit to Israel and the West Bank, seat of the Ramallah-based government of moderate President Mahmoud Abbas, Haniyeh’s rival.
During his visit, Bush laid out US expectations for a peace deal, which he said should be completed this year. He singled out Gaza which Hamas seized in June as a problem that could not easily be solved in the 12 months remaining in his presidency.
The international community is boycotting Hamas because of its refusal to recognize Israel’s right to exist and renounce violence. Following Hamas violent takeover of Gaza, Abbas formed his own government in the West Bank that effectively has no control in Gaza. The split prompted the renewal of peace talks between Abbas and Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert.
Haniyeh said Bush’s views on a peace deal were based on promises to Israel, and don’t serve Palestinian interests.
“Bush gave Israel all the required pledges to solidify its occupation ... while he gave the Palestinians more illusions and slogans, and loose words that only express the deception which has characterised this visit,” Haniyeh said.
During his visit, Bush urged Israel to end its 40-year occupation of the West Bank and said a Palestinian state should be contiguous, a nod to Palestinian opposition to a state broken into pieces by Israeli settlements and military installations.