Hamas to U.S.:
Holy city is ours

JERUSALEM – Hamas warned yesterday against any American attempt to recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, saying such a move, currently being debated by the U.S. Congress, would spark immediate violence throughout the Middle East.

Any U.S. resolution recognizing Jerusalem as the capital of Israel will explode the region into violence and end the current "calm" in the Palestinian territories, said Hamas spokesman Mushir Al-Masri.

Al-Masri was responded to a congressional discussion last week regarding a draft resolution requesting the U.S. administration recognize Jerusalem as the "united and eternal capital" of Israel before officially recognizing any future Palestinian state.

The Hamas spokesman demanding Jerusalem be reserved for the capital of what it called its future state.

"We will not accept less than this at any time," Al-Masri warned.

WorldNetDaily broke the story last month that the United States has quietly approved a plan to relocate its consulate from the eastern section of Jerusalem to a western Jerusalem neighborhood, with construction of the new facility already beginning, and some in Israel worried the move may be related to the Jewish state withdrawing from eastern Jerusalem and giving the area to the Palestinians for a future state.

The U.S. had debated for several years moving its consulate, currently located in a largely Arab eastern Jerusalem neighborhood, to the western, more Jewish section of the city, with talks intensifying as the Oslo peace process moved forward and Israeli-Palestinian negotiations culminating in Israel agreeing at Camp David in 2000 to give the eastern section of Jerusalem to the PLO to create its future state's capital. The new facility, now under construction, will feature 9,000 square meters of constructed space housing the consular department, public affairs, the Agency for International Development, the consulate's Foreign Commercial Service, and consulate management and other support services.

The new Jerusalem consulate is scheduled to open in early 2007.

The U.S. is maintaining the consular move is related to rising concerns over suicide attacks in Jerusalem and security threats in the eastern Jerusalem neighborhood.

"We've been dealing with the process of moving the consulate to a secure location for several years now," Chuck Hunter, a spokesperson at the Jerusalem consulate, told WND.

But some in Israel worry the consular move may be politically motivated. They charge the U.S. is transferring its facilities ahead of an ultimate Israeli withdrawal from eastern Jerusalem.

Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon is forging ahead with his plan to remove Jewish settlers from Gaza and parts of the West Bank this summer, and there have been talks of future withdrawals from other areas, including eastern Jerusalem.

Deputy Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, whose statements are considered closely aligned with Sharon's policy, said in June he is willing to cede Israeli control over at least six Arab neighborhoods that lie on the periphery of Jerusalem.

"Jerusalem is dear to me, but one must not lose sight of proportions over peripheral areas we do not need," Olmert said.

Moshe Feiglin, Likud member and leader of the Manhigut Yehudit nationalist party told WND: "It looks believable the U.S. would move the consulate to get out of that neighborhood ahead of a withdrawal."

Knesset Member Uzi Landau, one of the leading anti-disengagement forces within Sharon's Likud Party, told WND he thinks Israel will withdraw from Jerusalem in the future:

"It is quite clear the disengagement policy will lead to the division of Jerusalem. This will be done under the auspices of Sharon, while Olmert is leading the political talk."

Meanwhile, Hamas also announced yesterday it will ignore calls from Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas to disarm following legislative elections July 17.

"When a movement or militia is transformed into a political party, I would say that there will then be no need for them to possess weapons," Abbas told reporters, referring to Hamas plans to run in the upcoming Palestinian elections.

"There will be only one authority, one law, and one legal gun. The issue is very clear, and this has been common practice throughout history," said Abbas.

The Palestinian chairman gave no indication he would forcefully disarm the group, as both the U.S. and Israel have demanded of him.

Al-Masri said Hamas has no plans to lay down its weapons.

"Our fingers will remain on the rifle triggers until the removal of the occupation," said Al-Masri, who balked at suggestions Hamas was becoming a political party.

Hamas participation in elections "does not mean it is on the way to becoming a political party," Al Masri said.

Related story:

U.S. to move consulate from East Jerusalem