Where Can I Get My Hamas Decoder Ring?

At least for now, it looks like good news: the EU is going to follow in the footsteps of the US and Canada in withholding funds from Hamas. According to Reuters:

The European Commission said on Friday it had halted aid payments to the Hamas-led Palestinian government because the new cabinet had not recognized
Israel's right to exist or renounced violence.

Meanwhile, according to The Irish Examiner Hamas has supposedly reacted to the threat--and follow-through--of the slashed funding and is willing to rethink its stand on Israel:

While Hamas condemned the EU move, one senior Hamas leader said the group is ready for a "two-state" solution with Israel, a softening in Hamas' position that would imply recognition of the Jewish state. [emphasis added]

So readiness for a two-state solution means that Hamas is ready to change it's charter and actually recognize Israel?

The Reuters/Yahoo article is even more optimistic:

Zahar has twice this week appeared to float trial balloons by talking of a "two-state solution," code for co-existence with Israel, in a letter to U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan, later half-denied, and an interview with the London daily The Times. [emphasis added]

So, according to Reuters, readiness for a "two-state solution" (why do they keep putting that in quotes anyway?) is code not only for recognition of Israel, but co-existence as well.

Not that what a terrorist group says really means anything, but what did Hamas say, anywa?.

According to YnetNews.com, here it is:

“We wish, like all nations of the world, to live in freedom and security, and that our people will be able to enjoy peace and independence, side by side with our neighbors in this holy part of the world,” Zahar wrote to Annan.

Even if one were to assume that Hamas words of peace would be backed up with concrete action--where is there any mention of Israel at all?

Gee, where can I get my Hamas decoder ring?

Funny thing though is that already on April 5th, there was already coverage that Hamas was denying any reconciliation with Israel:

Palestinian Foreign Minister and senior Hamas leader Mahmoud al-Zahar on Wednesday denied referring to a two-state solution to the Middle East conflict, wording that might have hinted at Israel's right to exist.

A senior Palestinian diplomat at the United Nations said on Tuesday that Zahar had made the reference in a letter he sent to U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan this week.

"Such a sentence was not used in the letter," Zahar told Reuters. A copy of the letter seen by Reuters also showed no mention of a two-state solution. [emphasis added]

Mmmmmm...Looks like Reuters doesn't have the decoder ring either. I guess their old decoder ring doesn't work for Hamas. You know, the decoder ring where "terrorist" really means "freedom fighter" and "disputed territory" really means "occupied territory".

But wait--it looks like Hamas is having trouble with the code too:

In an interview with Britain's Times newspaper published on Friday, Palestinian Foreign Minister Mahmoud al-Zahar, a senior Hamas leader, said the group was prepared to discuss what was meant by a two-state solution.

Hmmm. Which word is difficult for Hamas--two? state? or solution?

Doesn't anybody out there have a decoder ring?

See also Soccer Dad on this topic.

Crossposted at Israpundit

Technorati Tag: Israel and Hamas and Zahar and Palestinians and Media Bias.