Abbas: My decision not to run for re-election is final
Abbas cites stalled peace talks as reason for reluctance to run; Hamas to Abbas: Admit to failure of talks.
By Haaretz Service and News Agencies Tags: Hamas Palestinian election Mahmoud Abbas Israel newsPalestinian President Mahmoud Abbas said Thursday that he had no wish to seek re-election at a presidential poll he has called for January and that he was not ready to debate the issue.
In a speech broadcast live from his headquarters in the West Bank city of Ramallah, the 74-year-old PLO leader, who replaced the late Yasser Arafat five years ago, said: "I have told our brethren in the PLO ... that I have no desire to run in the forthcoming election."
Hamas spokesman Sami Abu Zuhri responded Abbas' announcement, saying that Abbas' reluctance to run for re-election was a message of reproach to his friends, the Americans and the Israelis.
"We advise him to ... face the Palestinian people and tell them frankly that the path of negotiations has failed. Halt negotiations with the occupation and take practical steps toward reconciliation," he said.
Hamas and Abbas have led rival governments in Gaza and the West Bank for the past two years, after Hamas' bloody seizure of the coastal area in 2007.
Earlier Thursday, Abbas cited the lack of progress in peace talks with Israel as the reason for not running for re-election, Palestinian officials said.
The Western-backed Palestinian leader announced his plans at a meeting of the executive committee of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) in the West Bank.
Head of the PLO Executive Committee Yasser Abed Rabbo announced Thursday that the committee had rejected Abbas' announcement, but Palestinian sources told Haaretz that for now, it does not appear that Abbas will reconsider. Experts believe that unless enormous international pressure is exerted on Israel to change its settlement policy, Abbas will remain true to his word and refrain from running for re-election.
Abbas has threatened in the past not to run, and initially it wasn't clear whether this was a final decision. The presidents of Egypt and Israel, the king of Jordan and Israel's defense minister all called the Palestinian leader on Thursday, urging him to change his mind, aides said.
The two aides said Abbas would announce his decision in a speech later Thursday. They spoke on condition of anonymity because Abbas has not officially declared his intentions.
Palestinians feel demoralized because the Obama administration has not been able to pressure Israel to halt its construction on lands they claim for a future state. They fear that if U.S. President Barack Obama isn't able to wrest that concession, he won't be able to prod Israel to make other, more sweeping compromises that would be needed to nail down a final peace deal.
The Palestinians say the settlements are undermining their dream of independence by gobbling up large chunks of territory they claim as part of a future state. Some 500,000 Israeli settlers now live in the West Bank and East Jerusalem, which Israel captured in 1967.
Late last month, Abbas told U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton that he would not run for re-election, but backed off after Obama called him and expressed his commitment to Mideast peacemaking, Abbas aides have said.
But days later, in a visit to Israel, Clinton had warm praise for Israel's willingness to somewhat limit construction in the West Bank and East Jerusalem, deepening Palestinian anxiety.
Abbas' decision aside, it is not clear that elections will be held at all.
Fatah last month unilaterally signed a reconciliation pact with the rival Hamas group under Egyptian mediation. Hamas, however, said it needed another few days to consider the document, and that the Islamist group had reservations about it.
The Hamas and Fatah reconciliation agreement would have ended three years of civil strife and political discord, sparked when the Islamist Hamas seized control of the Gaza Strip in a bloody coup.
Abbas said earlier this week that his government would hold presidential and parliamentary elections on January 24, a movemement which garnered criticism from Hamas.
Hamas' Damascus-based political leader Khaled Meshal said the move to hold elections regardless of whether a Palestinian reconciliation deal is reached beforehand is "illegal and unlawful."
"Reconciliation first and then we go to elections," he said.
The decision to hold balloting in the West Bank, East Jerusalem and Gaza satisfies a legal requirement that Abbas decree elections, but binds him to a vote that many see as unlikely to happen, given Hamas opposition.
Abbas said Palestinian law required him to decree elections for January after Hamas rejected a unity deal that would have postponed elections until June.
"When we didn't reach national reconciliation, we returned to the constitution and the law," Abbas told the Palestine Liberation Organization's central council in Ramallah.
But he did not say how his Palestinian Authority would apply the decree outside the West Bank, the only territory where it holds sway. Although Palestinians see east Jerusalem as the capital of their hoped-for state, Israel annexed the territory in 1967 after capturing it and would need to approve voting there.
Under Palestinian law, the election results would be legitimate even if Gazans weren't allowed to participate as long as representatives from Gaza were to appear on ballots.
Political analyst Hani al-Masri said Abbas' decree sought to reaffirm his legitimacy as president while pressuring Hamas into accepting a reconciliation agreement. Abbas was elected in 2005 to a four-year term that was later extended by a year, a move Hamas has refused to recognize.
"Abu Mazen wants to make Hamas come back to the Palestinian political scene, but he wants them to do so after recognizing his legitimacy and leadership, not as competitors and opposition," Masri said, referring to Abbas by his nickname.
Palestinian legislative elections were last held in 2006, when Hamas won a majority.
Fatah members insist the decree was a constitutional requirement and not intended to pressure Hamas, though they say they still want reconciliation.
"The door of reconciliation with our brothers in Hamas is open and we won't close it until the last moment," said leading Fatah member Jibril Rajoub.
Others say elections can only realistically be held after a unity agreement.
"Any real action that is taken by the Palestinians has to be done under an agreement," said Fatah member Qadoura Faris. "Without that, nothing can be done."
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Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas announced he would not be running for re-election Thurs. |
| Photo by: (AP) |
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ABBAS, We've seen these kinds of antics before. You know when & by whom ? Abdul Nasser,after him first bragging to all the world how he's going to throw Israel into the sea,& then being defeated in one of the most humiliating defeats in history.(1967.The Six-Day War) Said he was going to resign,(which of course was a bluff) & was reinstated as President of Egypy again. Don't put it beyond Abbas. The same antics of Abdul Nasser at play. Israel. Beware. They'll want to exact "a pound of flesh" from you !
God bless you. I support this idea.. OR .. If Israel is so keen on not giving anything up and keeping it all, then the Palestinians ought to demand Israeli passports and join the so called "biggest democracy" in the middle east as full fledged citizens.
While Israeli and the Jewish lobby will be putting on their party hats and saying "Now there is nobody to negotiate with" because the PA is in disarray, the Domesday clock for Israel will be ticking. The PA have given the "two-state" solution their best shot and have been rebuffed at every turn by Israel and their US allies (AKA "the honest broker). The two-state solution, with the Israeli quest for Lebensraum, has become an unachievable dream. So what's left? The status quo is not going to work, and despite the Israeli whining that the Goldstone report was "unfair", it will not be going away anytime soon. (It is beyond belief that Israel does not conduct a credible war crimes enquiry and just make the current perceptions go away. They didn't really commit war crimes did they?) So what's left? Ah ... a "one-state" solution. Now there's a thought. I am certain that it will have not escaped anyones notice that the jewish population in such a state will be in the minority.
years trying to reach an agreement with a neighbour who just keeps on talking more and more and more, aided and abetted by the US veto vote in the UNSC, which is, after all, the ONLY thing stopping the Palestinians from having justice.
It is time to disolve the PA, The PLO ,Hamas Jihad, and all of their affliated institutions and hand the West bank and Gaza back to the Israeli occupation authorities. Palestinians should then burn their Palestinian Passports and Israeli Id's, start a peacefull boycott of all UN, Israeli, American,European ,Arab and Muslim institutions and go on mass hungerstrike untill they all die with dignity or are freed.
since your involvement and the design of the Oslo traity we have seen nothing but concession after concessions to the Israel who benefited primarily out of the puppet authority created in the occupied territories, so yeah well done and please keep your words.
With improved economic circumstances on the West Bank time's comes for new leaders out of the upper business and professional classes to run for PA president.
what he has achieved during his time in office for the Palestinian people? Too little. If they do not succeed to find and appoint a new leader willing to cooperate with Israel all negotiations will be blocked on beforehand. First step should be the recognition of Israel. Shalom from Holland
Im ok with your idea : one land, the holy land, with jews, palestinians, muslims and cristians. No more walls, no more borders inside the holy land ... Im ok with you but the question is :"How much time should we have to wait to see this solution coming ?
After 18 years of Madrid and 16 years of Oslo, What did you accomplish? Israeli governments had no intention of accomplishing peace. The Israelis made you take off your pants and shirt. It is time for those pantys Mr. Abbas and then you will be ready for peace treaty. Get a life
but it already has been done many times before by more competent leaders,: De Gaulloe, Teddy Roosevel. Abbass lost Gaza- what, who does he lead ? He rejected Olmert's offer and fell for Obama's 'total freeze'. Abbas is a bad loser, terrible leader. Obama's freeze failure shows the value of his ))) peace prize.Abbas still in office. He will be 'forced' to run again. And he is a lousy actor too. See next season's first show ...STARRING :Abbas
If Hamas leads the PA you can forget about peace and look forward to another cast lead if dahlan takes the reigns goodluck ... He has recently quoted saying suicide bombers are a justifiable response to settlement construction ya he's a moderate who will easily garner west support with logical statemetns like this. Otherwise who? Barghouti, from behind bars for terrorism ya that's a great face for the campaign I feel sorry for Palestinians they are now more lost than ever, I wonder how Israelis feel
Abbas foolishly painted himself into a corner demanding a total freeze when he knew it would cause a political firestorm in Israel. And why? Serious observers note that Israel isn't planning any land confiscations and is observing a defacto freeze. The issue is building WITHIN existing communities that would become part of Israel in any deal anyway. By making this a redline before even sitting down, Abbas shows he's not serious. How would it look if Israel demanded that Pals yield the entire Right of Return as a PRECONDITION to talk? Ridiculous, right? There is no real threat of settlement expansion, only posturing among the Arabs and delusional behavior. And I personally think the settlements are a bad idea. They just aren't the real issue right now. They're an excuse in the fight between Fatah and Hamas. Obama screwed this up by taking the bait.
Nothing wrong with Israelis and Palestinians discussing and resolving daily issues amicably. There is nothing to gain from humiliations and unnecessary hardships. Goodwill, however, goes out the door when random violence starts and Israelis just start thinking about protection and security measures.Relations between Jews and Palestinians and other Arabs in the West are not bad.Palestinians will have to climb down from their expectations for the same to be true in the Mideast.
They gave Obama the Nobel Peace Prize and he can't even get Netanyahu to stop building settlements (or doesn't want to)? The Nobel Committee is looking more foolish everyday.
How could they? They never talked.... Abbas never gave them a chance to fail...
not to play into the hands of the Israelis. If Abbas does resign and he concedes, as Hamas is requesting, that talks have led to nowhere (which is true) then that rejection of talks and his resignation will be used by Israel to support their refusal to enter negotiations with the Palestinians. They will offer it as an excuse and will say that with his resignaton, instability will overtake the WB and there will be more need than ever for Israel to maintian its status quo. The only solution here is if Obama came down very hard on Israel and demanded action or if actions is not forthcoming immediately, then there will be sanctions against Israel which is destabilising the entire reagion and bringing it closer to renewed conflict. That though is unlikely and what is more likely is that the US is playing this game with Israel. But as the Us has so grossly miscalculated in Iraq and Afghanistan, so to here in this dispute. It is time for the US to stand up to Israel.
in the mean time--why does Israel have to i) approve no housing for Arabs in any area outside of Palestinean complete control, ii) continue to destroy houses in those areas on the basis that they were built without permits, iii) take no steps that would provide for a contiguous Palestinean state--even if the borders are debatable. Arabs will be the majority in Jeruselem in 20 years--Israel or Palestine--isnt time to reach to them?
1. Israel is playing this economic card very craftily. On one hand, it has decimated the economic infrastructure in Gaza turning it into a ghetto, and curtailed it tremendously in the WB (limited access to roads, closures, road blocks, unnecessary delays at check points,refuals of work permits and delays in exporting to the point where the produce is ruined, etc.). On the other netanyahu and his ilk talk of "economic development" in the sense that Sharon meant it in the '70s with hsi "Village Leagues". Of course what Israel is doing here is putting up another smokescreen to substantive progress in which it would have to make concessions which it is commited to not doing. Thats on the economic front. Any WB economic growth has been in spite of Israel not because of it.
Now you can deal totally with Hamas.
One State solution is the best for all.Israeli land grabbing left nothing for Palestinians to have their own State.A new Nation with new name like "State of Holy Land" for example where jews and Palestinians must have the same rights
Good riddens!!!!!!!!
The future and the two state solution will emerge only if the current unbridgeable gaps in the Israeli and Palestinian positions can be brought closer. The Palestinian position is very weak as the result of having invested in terror over many years as opposed to economic development and peaceful coexistence. It appears that Fatah has attempted to follow the latter plan in the last few years and with some good results that saw strong economic growth and relative order and stability in the WB. If the new young Fatah leader grasps this simple cause and effect relationship there will be major progress in the coming years followed by more confidence and peace moves on both Palestinian and Israeli sides.
It doesn't matter Abbas, Hamas or whomever. If Palestinians ask too much they will not get it. The gap between Israel and Palestinians is simply too large. It doesn't take a tougher Palestinian leader to get what Palestinians want. It takes someone ready to offer Israelis an acceptable plan. Barak,Livni and Netanyahu haven't been able to get anywhere with Palestinians because their demands are simply too great. Even with American pressure there is a limit to how far an Israeli leader will go. Obama has seen that with Netanyahu.
"....Palestinians feel demoralized because the Obama administration has not been able to pressure Israel to halt its construction on lands...." The US is quite "able" to do so - but the US is not willing. David
it's pay back time and Obamas star has fallen from the sky. She managed in one week to do more harm, than Condoleezza "I'm waving" Rice managed to do during all her trips to Israel ('and will meet with President Abbas'), of any chance of peace. Her "unprecedented" remark and her "We are seeking an Israeli capital in East Jerusalem" would have pleased Freud. 'Obama can't be trusted' anymore and Hillary Clinton delivered the message in person. She is to meet the President today and I am sure he will have some questions.
Clinton's warm words for the PM of Israel who continues to defy the country she is representing totally undermined any confidence the PA had in the Obama administration. They were not successful or did not really want to pressure Israel, with binding consequences, into freezing all forms of settlement activity and growth. The US stalls, Israel stalls, nothing moves except more bulldozers building these odious colonies and fattening those existing. So...Israel and the US say that with Abbas resigning, then there is no partner that they missed the ball and failed once again to grasp an opportunity. End of two state solution and the Palestinians get the blame for their inability to compromise and dedicate their efforts to peace.
I hope he changes his mind. I hope....
"Late last month, Abbas told U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton that he would not run for re-election, but backed off after Obama called him and expressed his commitment to Mideast peacemaking, Abbas aides have said." - Haaretz Then Clinton made it very clear that the Obama administration had given in to Netanyahu's demands and essentially given up on the effort to restart negotiations. Repeatedly 'negotiations' has mean increased settlement building while intending to not reach any agreement. Without a halt in settlement building to signal sincerity only the worst might may be expected from Netanyhu. Obama might as well pack it in. He came face-to-face with the problem and learned the truth. His actions prove he will never stand up to Netanyahu. When will he stop wasting everyone's time by quitting what is clearly a dead effort?