"There is no room in Palestine for Jews," group says; Peres: Recognition of '67 borders began with Oslo.
By JPOST.COM STAFF
Hamas on Thursday called on the UN to rescind the 1947 decision to partition Palestine into two states, one for Jews and one for Arabs.
The group said in a statement, released on the 60th anniversary of the UN vote, that "Palestine is Arab Islamic land, from the river to the sea, including Jerusalem... there is no room in it for the Jews."
Regarding the partition decision, Hamas said that "correcting mistakes is nothing to be ashamed of, but prolonging it is exploitation."
Meanwhile, President Shimon Peres told Army Radio that recognition of the 1967 borders began with the Oslo accords.
"This is one of the greatest achievements. Without it, there would be no chance for peace," he said.
In the interview, Peres described the first moments after the historic vote in 1947: "I was next to [Israel's first prime minister, David] Ben-Gurion. That night, when all the streets were filled with dancing and rejoicing, he said that tomorrow there would be bloodshed. I wasn't sure he was right… but he was in a very grave mood."
Peres recounted how a few months later, Ben-Gurion had presented a list of Israel's meager weapons supply - only five million bullets that would last five days of fighting.
"After the terrible Holocaust, there remained only a few thousand Jews who came out of the camps weighing 30-40 kilograms. We had to set up a state, and there was no other choice… Ben-Gurion stood at the edge of the abyss. He decided to take a chance - and he was right."
if(catID != 151){
var cont = `Take Israel home with the new Jerusalem Post Store