Subscribe to Print Edition | Fri., February 01, 2008 Shvat 25, 5768 | | Israel Time: 16:35 (EST+7) web haaretz.com   Back to Homepage Rosner's Domain Diplomacy Defense Jewish World Opinion National Print Edition Advertising Books Arts & Leisure Business Real Estate Easy Start Travel Week's End Anglo File

Saudi Arabia's King Abdullah, center, walking with Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas, right, and Hamas leader Khaled Meshal, left, after their meeting in Mecca on Wednesday. (AP) Last update - 21:41 07/02/2007 Abbas in Mecca: We must form unity government to end boycott By Avi Issacharoff, Haaretz Correspondent, and Agencies The leaders of rival Palestinian factions Hamas and Fatah on Wednesday vowed during their meeting in Saudi Arabia to hammer out a deal on a unity government that could curb weeks of infighting and end an international blockade. "We want to create a unity government and that is everyone's demand. We want a government that can end the blockade," Abbas said in live television footage of the meeting overlooking the Grand Mosque in Mecca, Islam's holiest site. "Recent days have been very black and may God not allow them to return. It has been a catastrophe that must not be repeated. We don't want blood spilt," he said. Advertisement "We will not leave this place without agreement, God willing," exiled Hamas leader Khaled Meshal said, speaking after Abbas. "If it finds us unified, the international community will have to respect our wishes and lift the unjust blockade." However, British Foreign Minister Margaret Beckett said Wednesday during talks with Prime Minister Ehud Olmert in Jerusalem that even if Hamas and Fatah form a coalition, London will shun the resulting government as long as Hamas defies international demands to recognize Israel and foreswear violence. Earlier, at the inaugural ceremony in the Saudi Arabian royal palace, Meshal said, "We came here to agree and we have no other option but to agree." Abbas said he and his Fatah delegation had told all their supporters that, "we will not leave this holy place until we have agreed on everything good, with God's blessing." "I tell our people to expect good news, and I hope this [meeting] will not be mere words in the air," Abbas said. Referring to the battles that have killed more than 30 people in the past seven days, Meshal turned to Abbas and said that they both had to tell their supporters to respect the truce that took effect on Sunday. "We want to give a message to the nation, and the world, to create a positive atmosphere for these talks," Meshal said. Palestinian Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh, who heads the Hamas-led government, added his voice to the spirit of goodwill, asking "God to grant that this will be a new page in Palestinian-Palestinian relations." Both delegations thanked Abdullah for convening the talks, which come after months of failed unity government negotiations between Fatah and Hamas, and bloody street battles in Gaza and the West Bank. As the Palestinian leaders met, Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni said the world would not accept any Palestinian government that does not renounce violence, recognize Israel's right to exist and accept existing peace agreements,. Livni was the first senior Israeli official to publicly refer to the summit in Mecca. Members of the two delegations traveled to Jeddah before the talks began, to meet with Abdullah. The king met first with Abbas and other Fatah representatives. He then held talks with Hamas officials, including political chief Khaled Meshal and Haniyeh. "King Abdullah told our delegation that the inter-Palestinian fighting severely harmed the Palestinian cause," Hamas spokesman Ghazi Hamad said late Tuesday. He said the king stressed that the eyes of the Arab and Islamic worlds were on Hamas and Fatah and "waiting to hear good news that the two sides reached an agreement." The PLO ambassador to Saudi Arabia, Jamal al-Shobaki, confirmed to Haaretz on Tuesday that he was hopeful about the outcome of the discussions, as were senior officials from both Hamas and Fatah. Reporters are barred from entering the king's guest palace in Mecca. Back in the Gaza Strip, however, militants from both organizations continued to exchange fire after nearly 48 hours of calm. One Hamas militant was killed and three others were wounded in an incident late Tuesday night near national security headquarters in Gaza. Hamas claimed that Fatah was responsible for the casualties, but Fatah officials said it was the work of members of the Durmush clan, which recently split with Hamas after years of cooperation. Ahmad Durmush, speaking on behalf of the clan, said the Hamas men who were shot had been involved in the murder of two clan members in Gaza over a month ago. He said Hamas had refused to hand over the perpetrators to the Durmush and warned that if the 16 other suspects were not remanded to his clan they would be killed. Hamas militants abducted four Fatah activists Tuesday, including senior Al-Aqsa Martyrs' Brigades member Muaz Abu Amra, but released them shortly thereafter. This incident came only hours after an agreement between the parties over an exchange of captives. Nabil Amr, an Abbas advisor, said after Abbas met Abdullah that Fatah would insist that a new unity government adhere to the Arab peace initiative. "We urged our brothers in Saudi Arabia to intervene to bridge the gaps to conclude an agreement," Amr said, referring to Saudi leaders. "The alternative is more deterioration and early elections." Fatah officials also say they would focus on a Hamas acceptance of the PLO program, another means of achieving an implicit recognition of Israel that could end the Western aid blockade on the Palestinian Authority. Bookmark to del.icio.us   Painful lessons The IDF has already learnt lessons of the Second Lebanon War. Brothers in guilt 'We are all guilty; is an effective summary of the final Winograd report.   1.   "to heal the wounds, end tensions and reinforce national unity." 05:26  |  Joseph E . 07/02/07   2.   If the outcome of the Mecca talks will be the harmonizing of the 06:22  |  Nadav 07/02/07   3.   mecca 07:04  |  izaak 07/02/07   4.   Reality 07:29  |  Ali 07/02/07   5.   Hamasniks will return to Gaza with money 08:54  |  Joseph E . 07/02/07   6.   48 Hours of Calm 09:39  |  Clickfool 07/02/07   7.   48 hours of Calm 09:55  |  Clickfool 07/02/07   8.   British agents on their way 10:11  |  Parviz 07/02/07   9.   Warmongering minset 10:24  |  Shueb 07/02/07   10.   Another bizarre contribution from Fake Clickfool # 6 and #7 11:17  |  Clickfool 07/02/07   11.   Mecca Talks will not work 11:40  |  isratinian 07/02/07   12.   A formula needed 11:54  |  Phillies Wright 07/02/07   13.   To all people here 12:48  |  Fake fake Clickfool 07/02/07   14.   Mecca talks will not work 14:00  |  Smearnov 07/02/07   15.   formula needed 14:06  |  Smearnov 07/02/07   16.   We are united, weee aaare uniiiited unlike the rest of arab 14:13  |  Tamir 07/02/07   17.   Will Hamas renounce violence,recognise Israel? 15:46  |  Willy 07/02/07   18.   Clickfool 15:49  |  Ben 07/02/07   19.   Will Israel renounce apartheid, occupation, violence? 16:21  |  Duh Man 07/02/07   20.   Hamas won`t hold elections, so fights instead 16:38  |  Jason 07/02/07   21.   Mustafà Barghuti 16:59  |  Paolo 07/02/07   22.   #10 Clickfool 17:36  |  Itsik 07/02/07   23.   Waste of time on several fronts 17:44  |  bimmer 07/02/07   24.   Carissimo Paolo, Arab Dictators will dissapear if there is peace 18:29  |  Vespucci 07/02/07   25.   Expect 16 more killings minimum 18:38  |  FOX 07/02/07   26.   #1Pals don`t respect lives of Palchildren,letalone their justice 18:42  |  robert 07/02/07   27.   Palestinians still want to beg and not be productive ! 18:51  |  redmike 07/02/07   28.   If they don`t know how to make peace among themselves 19:37  |  myxamatosis 07/02/07   29.   Never gonna happen. 20:39  |  Mark 07/02/07   30.   while you are at it... 20:41  |  vik 07/02/07   31.   Peace Between Then Will Not Happen 21:16  |  Kipperraes 07/02/07   32.   The Saudis are a joke! The are tools that`s it! 21:37  |  Call 07/02/07   33.   #2 Nadav 21:40  |  Nemesis 07/02/07   34.   #10...clickfool 21:46  |  Nemesis 07/02/07   35.   #27 Red Mike 21:54  |  Nemesis 07/02/07   36.   We want a Jewish Temple not Islam occupation 23:12  |  Joseph E . 07/02/07   37.   # 26 Robert , " What is holiness of life " 23:55  |  Joseph E . 07/02/07   38.   Islam bossing around the West to end blockade 00:16  |  Joseph E . 08/02/07   39.   Expecting Too Much? 00:58  |  Jeff Northridge 08/02/07   40.   Paolo # 21 You`ve Been Hoodwinked 01:29  |  Jeff Northridge 08/02/07   41.   isratinian # 11 The Saudis Are Only Hosting the Talks 01:46  |  Jeff Northridge 08/02/07   42.   Playing for time 02:31  |  Danite 08/02/07   43.   Let Clickfool`s freedom of expression untampered 02:41  |  Fortuna 08/02/07   44.   pals will NEVER have a state 02:44  |  jon 08/02/07   45.   The boycott is against Hamas led PA 03:56  |  Joseph E . 08/02/07   46.   Ever hear of a barrel of monkeys? 04:02  |  David 08/02/07   47.   Aid and the Pals 05:01  |  Lynn 08/02/07   48.   # 36 Joseph E.. bingo get rid of the mosque 15:52  |  Petra 01/02/08

Today Online Three wounded in attack on Israeli embassy in Mauritania Responses: 81 Colette Avital: Evangelical donations to Israel are disturbing Responses: 30 Amos Harel: Israel can't afford such a poor army Responses: 16 Gadi BenMark: Israel needs an Arabic version of 'Hatikva' Responses: 26 Amnesty Int'l: Israel's war crimes ignored by Winograd report Responses: 78 Rosner's Domain Not despite Iraq - because of Iraq Those who love Israel can trust Obama (WTR) Poll: Is there a "constant virulent campaign" against Obama? The campaign for Darfur has achieved all its goals - but one Rosner's Guest: Anti-Israel activities often turn anti-Semitic More Headlines 16:13 Egypt thwarts Hamas plan to attack Israeli tourists in Sinai 14:08 Turkish Airlines jet and Israir plane in near collision at Ben-Gurion 15:44 Three hurt in attack on Israeli embassy in Mauritania 14:54 Bloggers try to counter anti-Israel media bias with bad news on other states 14:36 British Jewish group sparks new outrage with condemnation of Gaza blockade 11:57 Report: Meshal says abducted IDF soldier Shalit 'alive and well' 10:57 UNESCO chief: We are trying to mediate over Temple Mount bridge 11:04 Top IDF brass: Winograd report on Lebanon war an 'earthquake' 15:56 Czech court overturns ban on neo-Nazi march past city synagogue 08:49 Construction halted at site near J'lem despite pledge to Shas 13:06 Hamas frees Fayyad advisor detained in Gaza over a month ago 07:33 U.S. primaries / The final Republican face-off before Super Tuesday 06:04 Solana, Blair to travel to Middle East next week to discuss Gaza border crisis Previous Editions Select Day 31 jan 30 jan 29 jan 28 jan 27 jan 25 jan 24 jan 23 jan 22 jan 21 jan 20 jan 18 jan

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