include an armed terrorist organization that calls for the destruction of the State of Israel," a reference to Hamas which won the Palestinian elections.
In a statement to BosNewsLife, the Prime Ministers’ Office said Prime Minister Olmert and Foreign Minister Livni would world leaders ahead of next week’s upcoming the upcoming meetings of the European Union foreign ministers and diplomats from the peace talks supporting "quartet", the United States, European Union, Russia, and the United Nations.
"Israel will demand that the entire international community compel the Palestinian Authority (PA) and its Chairman to implement the commitment to eliminate Hamas as a terrorist organization that calls for Israel’s destruction," the statement added.
Hamas is sworn to destroy Israel, and its victory overshadowed worldwide Holocaust commemorations on Friday, January 27. The first International Holocaust Remembrance Day was established by the United Nations General Assembly last November. Israel issued a special postmark stamped on special envelopes to commemorate the Remembrance Day.
OTHER COUNTRIES
The day was also observed elsewhere, including in countries such as Poland and Hungary, which currently has Central Europe’s largest Jewish community of up to 100,000 people. About 600,000 Hungarian Jews perished in the Holocaust and many who survived fled later to Israel.
The Israeli government made clear Friday, January 27, it will keep fighting for the Jewish state’s existence and warned groups like Hamas that "Israel will continue to fight terrorism with a heavy hand, everywhere." There is concern among Palestinians that this could include further assassinations of suspected or known militants.
The Prime Ministers’ Office suggested it was disappointed that Hamas had been able to participate in elections without being forced to disarm. "Approximately one year ago, the PA decided to hold elections for its Legislative Council and to enable the main terrorist organization – Hamas – to take part in these elections," it noted.
PALESTINIAN COMMITMENT
"At the same time, the PA and its Chairman made a commitment – both to us and to the international community – that a condition for Hamas’s participation in these elections was that upon their conclusion the PA would work to disarm Hamas and turn it from a terrorist organization into a political organization, in accordance with its requirements under the Roadmap" for Peace, the Office added.
It stressed that there is no doubt that from "Israel’s point-of-view – a new situation has been
created."
However in neighboring Lebanon, Hizbollah guerrillas, in parliament for over a decade, said on Friday the world should learn to live with Hamas’s victory in Palestinian polls because militant Islamists would win elections elsewhere in the region.
HIZBOLLAH CELEBRATES
"The world must deal with this fact and cannot impose its conditions on the Palestinian people. It is their right to choose, they’re right to govern themselves and they’re are right to realize their demands of liberation from occupation," Hizbollah’s deputy chief Sheikh Naim Kassem told Reuters news agency.
That was not how protestors the Gaza Strip saw the new political reality. An estimated 20,000 supporters of Fatah, which lost the ballot, protested against Hamas, reportedly burning cars outside the Palestinian parliament building and firing rifles in the air.
In addition Hamas and Fatah gunmen exchanged fire on Friday, January 27, as the political turmoil turned increasingly into a violent backlash, news reports said.
CHRISTIANS CONCERNED
Christians have expressed concern about the impact the Palestinian elections could have on Israel. On Sunday, January 29, millions of Christians around the world are expected to participate in the fourth annual International Day of Prayer and Solidarity with Israel.
Christian believers in thousands of churches around the world are likely to pray for the peace and security of Israel and Christian and Israeli dignitaries will speak from the pulpits of mega-churches throughout the United States, organizers said.
The day is sponsored by the International Fellowship of Christians and Jews (IFCJ) organization. (With reports from Israel).
