'Iran is playing games, using Hamas as a card'

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Palestinian Authority Negotiator Saeb Erekat said that a two-state solution was necessary for a wider strategy of promoting moderation and fighting extremists in the Middle East, UK newspaper the Guardian reported on Wednesday.

"If there wasn't an Israeli embassy in Cairo," he said, "Bin Laden would be there and if there wasn't one in Amman [Bin Laden's deputy] Zawahiri would set up shop too."

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According to leaked "Palestine Papers," in October 2009 the PA negotiator told US Middle East envoy George Mitchell, "Ahmadinejad is in Gaza and Lebanon. Pakistan is going failed. The Arab states are doing nothing."

Erekat stated that Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas tried to persuade a Palestinian businessman to contribute $50 million to a radio station for the Iranian opposition after the country's tumultuous elections in 2009, reported the Guardian.

He cited this request as evidence of the Palestinian Authority's support for US strategic goals in the region.

According to the Guardian report, earlier the same year, in a meeting with staff at the PA negotiations support unit in May, Erekat said, "We are breaking the Arab behavior of going to America and telling him [sic] what we need."

He explained that, "Instead we are telling Obama that we can help ... in Pakistan, Somalia, Afghanistan, Iraq etc. And Syria, Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Jordan all need to tell Obama how they can help him.

"If other countries think they can use Hamas as a card we will do the same with them. We are not running a charity. Iran is playing games, they are using Hamas as a card.

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Original piece is http://www.jpost.com/MiddleEast/Article.aspx?id=205419

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'Iran is playing games, using Hamas as a card'