Abbas's bid for UN membership 'has no substance': Hamas

GAZA CITY: Gaza's Hamas rulers dismissed an attempt by Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas to secure UN membership for a Palestinian state as a step with "no substance."

"Abbas's speech to the United Nations was an emotional speech which succeeded in presenting Palestinian suffering, but he failed to discuss ways of confronting the occupation while linking his UN bid to negotiation with the occupation, making it a step with no substance," Sami Abu Zuhri, a spokesman for the Islamist movement, told AFP yesterday.


His remarks were made shortly after the Palestinian leader addressed the UN General Assembly, making an impassioned case for the world body to accept a Palestinian state as the 194th member of the United Nations.

Hamas government spokesman Taher al-Nunu also denounced Abbas's speech for seeking a return to some form of negotiation with Israel.

"There is a contradiction in Abu Mazen's speech between the reality and the solutions he presented," Hamas government spokesman Taher al-Nunu told AFP, using Abbas's nom-de-guerre.

"While he diagnosed the reality well, he said he was determined to return to negotiations and recognition of the Israeli occupation," he said.

"Finding sterile solutions does not meet the demands of the Palestinian people."

Although Hamas has not actively opposed the move to seek UN membership, the Islamist movement says it was not consulted over the strategy and does not believe it will achieve concrete results in ending the Israeli occupation.

Earlier this month, senior Hamas official Khalil al-Hayya said the campaign should be seeking membership for a Palestinian state on all of "historical Palestine" -- including areas now in Israel.

In May, Hamas and Abbas's Fatah movement signed an unexpected reconciliation which has yet to be fully implemented, with both sides keen to avoid issues that could exacerbate tensions.

In light of the fragility of the unity deal, both sides agreed that there would be no rallies in Gaza over the demand for full UN membership for a Palestinian state.

By contrast, tens of thousands of Palestinians filled the streets of the West Bank's main cities yesterday evening to watch Abbas's speech on huge screens set up in city centres, with the excited crowds roaring their approval as he made the case for UN membership.