Jihad for Israel?

No not that bunch of loons in their orange tee-shirts and orange star badges. This is about an Islamic Jihad leader suggesting that IJ might join the Palestinian Authority and recognise Israel.

"Israel forces us to react. If Israel stops the assassinations and arrests, we will observe the hudna," he said, adding that if a young Palestinian were to approach him and tell him he was on his way to carry out a suicide attack, he would try to dissuade him.

In his first interview with an Israeli news outlet, Abu Qassam said his organization might recognize the State of Israel.*

His take on Arafat and Mazen is quite interesting too

"Arafat believed in armed struggle and was not afraid of civil war. Abu Mazen does not believe in armed struggle and opposed civil war. We are with Arafat on the matter of the armed struggle, and with Abu Mazen in the desire to prevent civil war," he said.

I've probably said elsewhere that when an Arab League summit in Rabat in 1981 offered to recognise Israel in return for Israel's withdrawal from the occupied territories, Israel called it a declaration of war. Let's see how they greet this dangerous de-escalation.

*In the Hebrew edition of Ha'aretz the recognition of Israel is linked to withdrawal from the west bank and Jerusalem.

"I support the Hodna [truce] .the Hodna will open a new political routes... the Islamic Jihad is based on religion and Koran, on spreading the islamic justice every where. But the Islamic Jihad also gave, more then once, a chance to Hodna and negotiation with the PA and Egypt. we stopped the attacks and israel continued with the killings and the arrests. the Islamic Jihad will accept a palestinian state in the west bank and gaza strip, on the '67 borders, on the condition that it will be a state like any other state, with freedom of movements on land, air and sea, jerusalem its capital, and most important - return of all the refuges". when asked where the refuges should return to, Abu Kassam answered: "first, lets agree upon the principle. if israel will be ready for such a solution, the Islamic Jihad will be ready for a solution more then israel"

Thanks to Ron Cohen of Just Peace.