Hamas has distributed a document outlining a joint Palestinian leadership program in which the organization, for the first time in its existence, unequivocally recognizes the 1967 borders and adopts the main principle guiding Fatah: the establishment of a Palestinian state with Jerusalem as its capital.

The document, which proposes that Hamas work with Fatah and other Palestinian organizations, is a combination of internal documents prepared by Hamas over the last two years, some of which were first published in Haaretz. But changes have been made over the last few days, and especially after the meeting between Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas with Gazan Hamas leaders Mahmoud al-Zahar, Ismail Haniya and Said al-Siam this week.

The new version of the document says that one of the principles proposed by Hamas for a joint leadership is "a commitment to ending the occupation and establishment of an independent, fully sovereign Palestinian state, whose capital is Jerusalem." Until now, the organization leaders had issued similar statements about agreeing in principle to cease-fires or a long-term hudna, but it has never delivered an official document to other factions, starting with Fatah, in which they de facto recognize the political principles of Fatah.

On the one hand, the document emphasizes the "legitimacy of the armed struggle, the political struggle and all the jihadist means that the Palestinian people used and uses to achieve freedom and independence, concentrating all the efforts to condemn the occupation in all its forms in Palestine, Iraq, Afghanistan, and every centimeter occupied by foreign forces."

But at the same time, it includes an article calling for improving relations with the world in general and the West in particular, "on a moral basis and political principles that will preserve the rights of our people and guarantee an end to the aggression."

The document was finalized in the wake of heavy pressure on Hamas leaders by Abbas during their meeting Tuesday night in Gaza City. At the two-hour meeting, Palestinian sources said they saw Abbas tell Hamas leaders that he intends to deploy the Palestinian security services to prevent all military activity by all the organizations throughout Gaza and he demanded a commitment from them to cease all their military activity.

The demand was accompanied with similar threats by Fatah leaders in Gaza toward Hamas to accept the framework of a general cease-fire and not to clash with the current Palestinian leadership. According to Palestinian sources, the Hamas leaders officially promised to respond to the demands by Sunday but in effect have already complied with the demands.

The document has already been delivered to other factions and reflects Hamas recognition that it cannot oppose the security steps planned by Abbas to cease the rocket fire into Israel and the attacks on the settlements.

Like other documents published in the past, it is called a "covenant of honor" meant to formulate "a general national policy" for the Palestinians. But its language and content reflect the current weakness of the organization compared to the joint operations of the Palestinian security services and the Fatah movement, which are united behind Abbas.

"The Zionist enemy is the main enemy of the Palestinian people because it conquered our land and expelled our nation," says Article 4 of the document, which says that the withdrawal from Gaza will be "a national achievement for the armed struggle and the result of steadfast commitment to the legitimate right to oppose aggression and the occupation."

For now, the document remains a proposal to Fatah and the Palestinian Authority that has not yet been adopted. It defines "cooperation or information exchanges and security cooperation with the occupation" as a "crime that must be accompanied by heavy punishments."

The document calls for the establishment of a joint leadership for all the organizations and calls national Palestinian unity a main value for Palestinian society. A substantial part of Abbas' own campaign platform is detailed in the document, such as adoption of the rule of law and order, the deployment of the security services according to clear laws and defense of political pluralism and freedom of association and assembly.

Article six of the document says "the elections in the Palestinian territories will be the main instrument for deciding all the main political issues that face the Palestinians." The article is similar in essence to Abbas' promise to bring any future agreement with Israel to a national referendum.