PALESTINE: Hamas is urging Britain to back its proposal for a ceasefire of up to 10 years as a way of breaking the impasse over its refusal to recognise the state of Israel.
The most senior delegation from the Hamas government to visit Britain is in London to promote its offer of a long-term ceasefire to allow a period of "co-existence" with Israel that could lead to an eventual settlement of the Middle East conflict.
The two-man delegation, representing the Palestinian government, is also urging the British government to lift its ban on contact with Hamas. "We would welcome talks with Tony Blair," said Ahmad Yousef, senior adviser to the Palestinian prime minister, Ismail Haniyeh. "We would like to work with him and work with his government to help end the Israeli occupation. We're sending a message to the British government - we're offering a hudna [ ceasefire] for 10 years in return for the end of occupation."
Hamas wants European governments to accept its ceasefire plan in lieu of the Islamist group formally recognising Israel. "We hope the Europeans will become aware of the concept of hudna and that it can become a substitute for recognition of Israel," said Mr Yousef.
"Debate about a political nation's right to exist seems infantile. Israel is a state now, it is part of the UN, it is de facto there, and we deal with it every day."
The quartet of the US, EU, UN and Russia have demanded that Hamas formally recognise Israel, renounce violence and accept previous agreements between Israel and the Palestinian Liberation Organisation, before it lifts the economic embargo on the West Bank and Gaza imposed after Hamas won elections in January.
Mr Yousef said there was no support in Gaza and the West Bank for recognition of Israel and he could not propose such a change at present. "If I did, I would end up like Michael Collins," he said, referring to the Irish republican leader assassinated for accepting a two-state solution. "We need to change people's minds on how they look at the conflict, and it will take time. The climate will change if we have a period of peace."
Mr Yousef and Said Abu Musameh, a former Hamas leader and now a member of the Palestinian national assembly, said the ceasefire proposal, first put forward a decade ago by the late Hamas leader, Sheikh Ahmed Yassin, would be a de facto recognition of Israel. A period of peace could create the environment for negotiations at a later date on a full Middle East peace deal.
Mr Yousef was pessimistic about the prospect of serious talks with Israel about a peace deal in the next two years, saying it would have to await the replacement of the Bush administration with a government that would put pressure on Israel.
Israel will reject any such ceasefire proposal unless accompanied by formal recognition. Hamas is planning a conference in Doha, Qatar next month to discuss the plan with leaders from other Arab and Muslim countries.
The UK Foreign Office yesterday ruled out any meetings with the Hamas delegation, despite helping to arrange their visas. The Foreign Office classifies Hamas as a terrorist organisation.
Mr Yousef and Mr Musameh, invited to the UK by a nongovernmental organisation promoting peace, are due to visit parliament today to meet a group of peers and then fly to Belfast for discussions with representatives of the republican and loyalist communities.
Mr Yousef said he had spoken to other European governments which said they would like to lift an economic embargo, even if this meant confrontation with the US. - (Guardian service)