Jerusalem: Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas hinted he may resign if the radical Islamist movement Hamas prevents him from advancing the peace process, according to the transcript of a British television interview.
"We could reach a point where I cannot perform my duty. Then I will not continue sitting in this place, against and in spite of my convictions," Abbas said in an interview to be aired tomorrow on ITV1's Jonathan Dimbleby Programme.
Asked if he would resign if Hamas blocked his agenda on peace with Israel, Abbas said: "I would say that is my conviction that the presidential chair is not a goal and is not an end -- rather it's a means to implement a mission and to achieve something to my people.
"If I can achieve this for the people then the chair is important. Otherwise the chair for me becomes of no importance," said Abbas, "That is the sword of Damocles hanging over you and the situation You may say I will let someone else try?" Dimbleby asked.
"My convictions are important, as well as the work. If I can do something then I will continue, otherwise I won't," Abbas answered, whose former ruling Fatah party was trounced by Hamas in January's parliamentary poll.
Abbas said he had explained to the new Palestinian parliament and Hamas leaders that "Hamas has to take (a) place between their policy and our (Fatah's) policies which means that they should be committed to all the commitments we made before, the most prominent of which are (the 1993) Oslo (accords) of course and the road map."
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