Former Egyptian diplomat calls for 'direct' dialogue with Hamas

Egyptian professor of Law and Diplomatic International Relations Abdullah Al-Ash’al yesterday called for “direct” dialogue with Hamas, noting this would solve all outstanding issues, Quds Press reported.

Al-Ash’al, who is a former deputy foreign minister, also denounced the death sentences against Palestinian, some of whom died prior to the start of the Egyptian revolution while others have been held in jail for many years. He described these judicial verdicts a “scandal” for the Egyptian judiciary.

“No doubt these verdicts are scandalous for the Egyptian judiciary and the Egyptian state,” he said, “even if the verdicts were political, judges should have checked the names.”

He called for high-level dialogue between Egypt and Hamas, stressing that President Abdel Fatah Al-Sisi is able to sort out the differences with Hamas.

“This issue should be solved quietly,” he said. “All Egyptians, regardless to their different views about resistance, have to get to a point where they become sure that Hamas has not been involved in any aggressive attacks against the Egyptian army.”

Al-Ash’al insisted that the dialogue must be based on the basis that resistance is a supporter of Egypt and Egypt is a supporter of the resistance.

Meanwhile, he ruled chances that the authorities would carry out the death sentences against the freely elected President Mohamed Morsi and his colleagues. He called for Al-Sisi to take a “courageous” measure to stop such sentences.

He argued that there are different parties in Egypt trying to get rid of the Muslim Brotherhood, including followers of former President Jamal Abdul Nasser, secularists, liberals and even the Pope.

“If they wanted to get the Muslim Brotherhood out of political life, they had succeeded,” he said. “But if they wanted to erase them from the life of Egyptians, they will never achieve their goal. They would, instead, lead the country into a state of explosion.”