Sign in. It’s quick, free and it’s up to you.
An account is an optional way to support the work we do. Find out more.
PALESTINIAN ORGANISATION HAMAS has softened its stance on Israel for the first time in years.
For many years Hamas has called for the Israeli state’s destruction. The easing of its stance could be seen as an attempt on its part to improve its diplomatic standing internationally with Donald Trump set to meet with Palestinian leader Mahmud Abbas next week.
Deep divisions remain between Hamas and the Palestinian leadership.
The eased stance towards Israel is contained within a new policy document unveiled at a press conference today.
The document was launched in the Qatari capital Doha by exiled Hamas leader Khaled Meshaal, who is due to step down soon after serving his maximum two terms.
The conference was also broadcast live in the Gaza Strip, the Palestinian enclave controlled by Hamas, while the document itself has been posted on the movement’s website.
“We in Hamas believe that renewal and reinvention is a necessity,” Meshaal said at the conference in a Doha hotel.
While the new document does not amount to recognition of Israel as demanded by the international community, Hamas officials say, it formally softens its stance in a few key areas.
The document has not been especially well-received in Israel itself, with a spokesman for Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu saying “Hamas is attempting to fool the world but it will not succeed”.
“They dig terror tunnels and have launched thousands upon thousands of missiles at Israeli civilians,” David Keyes said in a statement, referring to rockets fired from Gaza and tunnels used to carry out attacks.
Israel and Palestinian militants in Gaza have fought three wars since 2008.
The strip has been under an Israeli blockade for 10 years.
Hamas leaders have long spoken of the more limited aim of a Palestinian state in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip without explicitly setting this out in its charter.
But after years of internal debate, the new document formally accepts the idea of a state in the territories occupied by Israel in the Six-Day War of 1967.
It also says its struggle is not against Jews because of their religion but against Israel as an occupier.
“We are not fighting against the Jews because they are Jewish,” said Meshaal.
We are waging this struggle against the aggression of Zionists.
However, the original 1988 charter will not be dropped, just supplemented, in a move some analysts see as a way of maintaining the backing of hardliners.
Asked if Hamas would negotiate directly with Israelis, Meshaal replied: “Our policy is we will not engage in direct negotiations with the Israelis because nothing in the conditions and circumstances convinces us that any conclusions can be reached.”
Direct talks is “a process, it’s a game we will not fall for it”.
The new document also continues to speak of liberating historic Palestine, including areas that are today part of Israel.
Hamas is considered a terrorist group by Israel, the United States and the European Union, and the new document is aimed in part at easing its international isolation.
With © – AFP, 2017
What a mess.
This is one Test the Government have Failed..!!
Some courses would have been subject to grade inflation due to some students getting higher marks due the addition of the CPSE mark. Some students were initially marked down and now have been awarded higher marks will still not get their courses due to this.
They need to publish what the CAO points should have been for each course had this error not occurred.
Students missing out because of others incorrectly receiving inflated grades will then have clarity around whether they should have received a first round offer on their preferred course at a minimum.
It’s the very least they deserve at this stage.
This should be easy to do, and we should not be hiding this from the students. It would be purely in the interest of fairness.
Happy news but how many have lost their place in Universities or places of learning outside the Republic of Ireland
Government to blame, orange man bad to blame, schools to blame, testers to blame.. Any chance anyone will ever blame China??? Unbelievable how they have been given a free pass by the MSM and the lefties.
@Crispy Brown: people will never blame China because there are afraid of the what the Chinese could do. That’s if they haven’t done it already.
@Crispy Brown: What has China got to do with a failed Leaving Cert calculation of grades system? Lol?
@Crispy Brown: get a life Crispy
Can we please offer most courses online and allow more students enrol. “Live” lectures are over rated.
Since the same (faulty) criteria was passed on everybody, why is it a problem? The entire solution was a compromise.
@Niall:
Agree!
Credit where credit is due, Norma has now fully redeemed herself by overseeing speedy resolution to problems caused by coding errors in grading system.
And Govt has promised that no student will lose out on their first choice college course, so a plan must be getting hatched to address any capacity issues in colleges. Like for example, offering courses online. Doh! How big a deal is that during a pandemic using modern tech, when, already, many sectors of the economy are actively embracing remote working.
It’s hard to listen to ongoing squeals from College suits that there is no space, that lecture halls on some courses are choc a bloc.
Someone explain to them that there’s no extra work required, just income generation & capex saving opps by offering lectures online.
A’s for everyone.
@Full Circle: “A” for the Asses who messed it up. Too many Teachers in the Dáil who essentially haven’t learnt their lessons or done their homework. Dianna Fáil should stop parachuting Novices into positions way above their capacity.
Did anyone get downgraded?
@John Smith: No. Higher grade however awarded will be the grade you keep.
@John Smith: Think I read that no one will be downgraded. Could be wrong but almost certain.
@John Smith: “Did anyone get downgraded?”
– I wonder what this means:
“Foley stressed that no students would receive a lower grade from the review”
– maybe it was added after you read the article.
Why didn’t they finish testing the code and the results before CAO? What a mess.
Insufficient school buses at start of school, issues with the grading system, schools pretty much left alone with organising social distancing…
Very cunning to swap the ministers just before reopening of the country
@Vanessa: Don’t get the school bus issue. Since when is it the taxpayer or Gov’s job to deliver your little Billy to school?
I hope someone topped up the credit on her phone.
onwards and upwards to the next crisis
What happened to people, like my son, who had exemption for Irish?
When they receive the “test message”, will they have to post a correct answer, and more importantly, will there answer be marked correctly. Unlike the spelling in the article. Proof read guys before you post. It just looks lazy not to.
Anna Anna, we want Anna
The department of education have got an F here.
Why can’t we comment on the covid numbers thread?
Does the demographic of LC participants use SMS anymore?
Take a year off now
it would be easy to blame the software company. Most people are. The govt are and all the media outlets seem to be too. But remember the govt went to them with a requirement and then changed that requirement at the last minute. In software the when your client asks you for something and then changes their mind you will run into problems. It is inevitable.
Just look at the govt HSE PPARS mess. Budget was 9 million and topped out at 220 million and still didn’t work properly. Too many cooks spoil the broth. The govt kept moving the goalposts all the way through the project. Just look it up and read the report.
I assume that due to their inability to carry out the task which they were paid for the company that made this serious error will refund any payment received
looks like polymetrika are a one man show who may be clever with math but can’t code to save himself……..
no procurement process…so.thats what you get Norma
Enough!
have your say