In an interview with Reuters, Hamas leader Khaled Meshaal (pictured) said “Hamas acknowledges the existence of Israel” but refuses to grant formal recognition or change its charter which calls for Israel’s destruction.
It seems like every time a senior Hamas official speaks on record about recognizing Israel and amending the charter, the comments are vague enough to mean nothing, but still generate reports of a “sea change” like this one from last June.
How will the media spin the interview? Let the tea leaf reports begin.
UPDATE Jan. 11: It didn’t take long — barely one hour after the interview was published, a Hamas spokesman told Haaretz that Meshaal’s words were distorted. See the Q&A.
