Deciphering the Code

Hamas and Islamic Jihad reject Abu Mazen's call for even a temporary ceasefire.

"We will never be ready to lay down arms until the liberation of the last centimeter of the land of Palestine," senior Hamas official Abdel Aziz Rantisi told Reuters.

I.e., all of Israel.

A statement issued by the Islamic Jihad said "resistance will continue as long as the Israeli occupation persists."

Same story, different verse.

Hamas spokesman Mahmoud a-Zaher, interviewed on the Al-Jazeeera television, declared that Abbas' statements regarding the suffering of the Jews were unacceptable. "For Abbas to talk about the suffering of the Jews as if it were the Palestinians' fault is totally unnecessary and unacceptable concession," he said. "Our land and people were always generous to the Jews and we have been repaid by expulsion of our people, occupation of our land, and attempts to annihilate us completely."

1. We can never sympathize with Jews. 2. We are generous to Jews as long as they agree under our thumb, subject to Sharia law.