Hamas has announced it will boycott the upcoming Palestinian elections set for January 9th. The terrorist group will not run a candidate in the race to succeed the late Yassir Arafat as President of the Palestinian Authority.

'All Hamas members will abide by the decision to boycott the elections. The Palestinian people understand the need and are well aware of the Hamas position but there is no call for ordinary Palestinans not to vote,' said senior Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh at a press conference in Gaza.

Hamas officials also indicated that Fatah candidate Mahmoud Abbas will meet with Hamas representatives when he arrives in Dasmascus to meet with Syrian officials on December 6th.

According to Haniyeh, Hamas refuses to run a candidate in the election because they do not recognize the Palestinian Authority which was created by the Oslo Accords signed between Israel and the PLO in 1993. Hamas has refused to recognize Israel and vows to destroy the Jewish state and replace it with a Palestinian entity. Hamas members have committed numerous acts of terror in Israel including suicide bombings.

The announcement that Hamas will not run a candidate in the election hardly comes as a surprise. The key question may become will Hamas stop acts of terror during the election process.