Palestinians launch campaign to whitewash Hamas

The Palestinian Authority led by Mahmoud Abbas Friday launched a broad propaganda campaign from Ramallah to persuade the Israeli public and world media that the radical Hamas, with which it signed a unity pact Wednesday, was ready to recognize Israel, renounce terrorism and accept former peace accords. No Hamas official has confirmed this. Palestinian sources also explain that the new unified government that will rule both the West Bank and the Gaza Strip will be made up of non-partisan technocrats. The Hamas rulers in Gaza City meanwhile show no readiness to step aside for the unity government.