GAZA (PIC)– The Hamas Movement on Wednesday welcomed Russian president Vladimir Putin’s remarks that affirmed the victory of Hamas in Palestinian general elections was the result of democracy and the people’s choice must be respected.
Ismail Redwan the Hamas spokesman in the Gaza Strip told PIC that Russia thus distanced itself from the quartet committee’s boycott position of the Hamas-led government.
He affirmed that Hamas would never abandon its constants and would not recognize the “Zionist entity” asking the European countries instead to curb Israel’s daily aggressions on the Palestinian people.
“We welcome such moderate statements that reject American pressures and that recognize Hamas as a movement that came to power through the ballot boxes” Redwan elaborated.
The Hamas spokesman hoped that the European stance would rise to such a level and championed establishing official relations between Hamas and the Palestinian government and Russia.
Asked on Putin’s remark that Hamas’ election victory constituted a blow to American policy he said that Hamas’ victory was a victory for justice freedom and democracy in addition to being a victory for the Palestinian national project.
Putin told the Qatari-based Al-Jazeera TV network that he did not consider Hamas a “terrorist” organization adding that his country did not regret inviting Hamas leaders to visit Moscow. “Hamas works to achieve its goals through certain means which does not mean that we necessarily approval of those means” he underlined.
He affirmed that the people’s choice must be respected especially when it came following a democratic process.
