Open Peace Letter from IFLAC to Hamas Leaders

In this open letter to the leaders of Hamas, IFLAC outlines the conditions necessary to reach the proposed 3-5 year ceasefire: Hamas must revise their Charter and delete the conspiracy clauses and the clauses calling for the destruction of Israel, stop the firing of rockets on Israeli villages, and demolish and cease the rebuilding of tunnels into Israel. This would be in the interest of both the Palestinians and the Israelis, and could pave the way to a lasting Peace Treaty.

The letter is written by IFLAC Founder Dr. Ada Aharoni, together with IFLAC Peace Ambassadors Kate Dong (Hong Kong) and Moran Balaish (Israel). It is one in a series of open letters from IFLAC to the Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and the leaders of Hamas:

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas
Khaled Mashal – Chairman of the Hamas Political Bureau
Abu Marzuk, Deputy Head of Hamas

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The letter in PDF format

26.04.2015

OPEN PEACE LETTER
FROM IFLAC TO HAMAS LEADERS

To The Hamas Leaders,

We at “IFLAC: The International Forum for the Literature and Culture of Peace” are glad to hear that you are willing to consider the proposal of a 3- to 5-year Hudna (Cease Fire), between Israel and Hamas suggested by Robert Serry, the outgoing U.N. representative to the Middle East. Your answer was that all parties should respond positively to the proposal. This proposal will further the opening crossings to enable Gaza’s full and accelerated recovery and reconstruction. As Serry suggested, “The rehabilitation of Gaza will take years and for that we need time and a commitment from all concerned parties for a long-term reconstruction Hudna. We urge you to commit yourselves with a freeze of all military activities above and below the ground.”

The First Condition:
Robert Serry’s suggestion is wise and crucial. It would alleviate the hardships and misery of the Palestinian people and enable them to rebuild their houses. It is possible that Israel would accept a Hudna only if, as Serry states: all military activities and the firing of rockets on Israeli villages would be stopped, and the rebuilding of tunnels leading into Israel should cease at once, and all the tunnels should be completely demolished. This would be in the interest of both the Palestinians and the Israelis, and could pave the way to peace between them.

The Second Condition:
The Hamas Charter should be changed. We at IFLAC suggest that the articles in the Hamas Charter that are unacceptable clauses for a peace partner should be eliminated. We call upon you to delete the following articles:

1. First of all, the Preamble to the Hamas Charter that states: ″Israel will exist and will continue to exist until Islam invalidates it…″ has to be deleted.

   Israel has no intention whatsoever to be destroyed or to let Islam invalidate or invade it! The State of Israel will protect its citizens with all its might, as it always did in the past, from any renewal of bombing from Hamas. What will happen if Hamas renews again its attacks on Israel with rockets shot on peaceful Israeli villages, is that Gaza will be destroyed again, and the poor Palestinian people will be those who will suffer most, still more than in the past!

2. Article number 13 states: “There is no negotiated settlement possible. Jihad is the only answer.”

   If so, why has Hamas recently requested again to renew the negotiations and peace talks with Israel? On what basis? The basis that “no negotiated settlement is possible” is an impossible basis for two serious partners to discuss peace. This article 13 has to be eliminated immediately, if you, the Hamas leaders, are serious in wanting the peace talks to succeed this time.

3. Article number 14 states that: “The liberation of Palestine is the personal duty of every Palestinian.”

   This article too is also in a counter direction to genuine peace negotiations. Article 14 instigates hatred of Israel and it incites Palestinian to destroy Israel and its people. This article too has to be immediately deleted if you want serious and responsible peace talks to take place between the two sides of the Palestinian-Israeli Conflict, or if you really desire a Hudna of 3- to 5- years to take place as Serry suggested.

4. Article 28, which states that “Israel, Judaism and Jews are a conspiracy against Islam.”

   This too is a completely negative and false accusation against the Jewish people and Israel. The following statement too is erroneous: “The Zionist invasion is a vicious invasion. It does not refrain from resorting to all methods, using all evil and contemptible ways to achieve its end. It relies greatly in its infiltration and espionage operations … They aim at undermining societies, destroying values, corrupting consciences, deteriorating character and annihilating Islam.”

   As the negative and false articles above, Article 28 too is not only basically totally false, but it also aims at propounding dishonest and vicious views that are often used in poisonous Palestinian propaganda. This article too should also be immediately eliminated as its lies and false statements present a wrong image of Israel which leads to hatred of the Jewish people. Israel is a legitimate State established by the majority of the United Nations in May 1948, and not a “vicious invasion”. Among the blatant lies in this article is that Israel’s aim is to annihilate Islam! Israel has no intention whatsoever of “annihilate Islam”, its intention is to live in peace and good relations with its peaceful Muslim neighbors.

Please Hamas leaders, do your best to convince your people, and all the parties in Gaza, that “War, violence and hatred” are not the way to an honest Hudna, that could lead to a lasting Peace Treaty between the two people, who are both earnest in reaching reconciliation and peace. The way is to come to the peace negotiation table with an open heart and mind and not with false negative conceptions and false fixed defamation of the partner Israel. Only in this way can the negotiations between two open, honest and willing partners with no prejudices, reach a successful result, accepted by both sides.

The offending articles above in the Hamas Charter should be eliminated completely, if you honestly want the proposed Hudna to take place. In addition, the whole Hamas Charter needs a general revision, if you really want the forthcoming peace negotiations to succeed this time. No talks can start with a partner who from the outset wants to destroy your country and to kill all its inhabitants. So, Hamas leaders be objective, revise all the negative and hatred aspects of your Charter, and completely delete the four offending and unacceptable articles mentioned above. For the sake of peace between our two people, the Palestinians and the Israelis, we at IFLAC propose that you change, as soon as possible, the entire views and goals of your Charter.

We are looking forward to the paving of a Peace Treaty between a free and peaceful Palestine to the side of her neighbor Israel, like the one between Israel and Egypt, and between Israel and Jordan. A Peace Treaty between the two people Palestinians and Israelis, would give the opportunity to the Palestinian people to have a State of their own and to flourish by the side of their neighbor Israel. The whole world would help a peaceful Palestine to be developed, including Israel.

We are looking forward to your positive response that would stop the rivers of blood between the two brothers, Ishmael and Isaac, the two sons of their common father Abraham. This is in the interest of both the Palestinian people and the Israeli people.

Inshallah! Halvai! May it Be!

Prof. Ada Aharoni
IFLAC World President
ada.aharoni06@gmail.com
www.iflac.com/ada
www.iflac.wordpress.com

Kate Dong
IFLAC Peace Ambassador in Hong Kong
kate.hl.dong@yahoo.com

Moran Balaish
IFLAC Peace Ambassador for Israel
Moran.bala@gmail.com
 

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