By Saud Abu Ramadan

Hamas leaders' recent statements and their meetings with European and American diplomats clearly indicated that the movement is seeking open and direct ties with the West, especially with US President Barack Obama.

The Islamic Hamas movement, founded in Gaza in December 1987, was listed by both Europe and the United States as a terrorist organization, which carried out dozens of suicide bombings in Israel, killing hundreds of people.

The movement, which opposed Oslo peace accords, signed between Israel and the Palestinians in 1993, still rejects the international society's call to recognize Israel. But it decided to change its world image, after it won the parliamentary elections in 2006 and began to rule the Gaza Strip in 2007.

"After the international community isolated Hamas, its leaders began to think in a smart way and released statements addressed to European and US leaders aiming at ending the isolation," said As'ad Abu Sharkh, an academic at Gaza al-Azhar University.

An in-depth reading into Meshaal's speech

Palestinian observers believed that the speech of exiled Hamas leader Khaled Meshaal addressed from Damascus on Thursday, did not carry anything new related to the Israeli-Palestinian conflicts or the inter-Palestinian impasse, except trying to attract the US by flattery.

"Meshaal's speech didn't carry anything new related to the outstanding issues, except a calm language addressed towards the United States. He was trying to send a message that his movement is ready to positively deal with the sponsor of the Middle East peace process," said Abu Sharkh.

Meshaal praised Obama's speech at Cairo University on June 4, saying "His (Obama's) stances of not describing the movement as a terrorist organization is a first step in the right direction towards an unconditioned direct dialogue."

The three-year Quartet's embargo on Hamas and the tight Israeli blockade imposed on the enclave the movement is ruling, had apparently urged Hamas leaders to think carefully about starting to improve relations with the West.

Hamas diplomatic activities to end embargo

Osama al-Muzeini, a senior Gaza Hamas leader and spokesman of the prisoners' swap file with Israel, revealed in an interview that a top Hamas leader has been invited by several European countries to directly express Hamas' political views and stances.

"These countries were listening in the past to non-Hamas officials, who portrayed a bad image about the movement and its political attitudes. But after these countries discovered what they had perceived about Hamas was wrong, they decided to listen directly to Hamas leaders," said al-Muzeini.

Meanwhile, Ahmed Yousef, an aide to deposed Hamas' premier Ismail Haneya in Gaza, told Xinhua that "Hamas is drafting a letter and will deliver it to Obama via Western mediators."

"The letter explains Hamas' vision for finding a political solution to the conflict in the region," Yousef said, adding "Hamas will write that it accepts a statehood alongside Israel according to UN resolutions."

Pragmatism in Hamas conflict with PNA?

Hamas' current political actions to seek direct dialogue with the West are carried out without coordination with the Palestinian National Authority (PNA) or President Mahmoud Abbas, who is backed by the West and directly involved in the Middle East peace process.

Younis el-Astal, a Hamas lawmaker, expressed Hamas readiness to hold direct dialogue with the US administration "and even with Israel, simply because those (PNA) who negotiate on behalf of our people are not trustworthy."

Ramzi Rabah, a pro-PNA political analyst from Gaza and a former diplomat said "what makes Hamas movement more distinctive is its recent adoption of pragmatism in its political manner, mainly accepting unconditioned dialogue with the United States."

"It's impossible to believe that Hamas leaders have suddenly and completely modified their language and political speech without receiving the blessing from their internal leadership," said Rabah.

(Xinhua News Agency June 30, 2009)