Abbas postpones formation of unity government in bid to appease Western allies
PA leaders fear unity government will derail efforts to win UN nod in September to establish Palestinian state.
By Haaretz and The Associated Press Tags: Middle East peace Palestinians Palestinian statePalestinian President Mahmoud Abbas may hold off on the formation of a unity government with the Islamic militant group Hamas to avoid alienating his Western allies ahead of a UN vote on statehood, a senior PLO official said Thursday.
Palestinian leaders had apparently underestimated international opposition, particularly from the U.S., to any Hamas involvement in the government and are afraid that it will derail efforts to win the UN nod in September to establish a Palestinian state.
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In this photo released by the Hamas Media Office, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas shakes hands with Hamas leader Khaled Mashaal Cairo, Egypt on May 4, 2011. |
| Photo by: AP |
Hamas is considered a terrorist group by Washington and the European Union because it continues to reject the three conditions for international acceptance—recognizing Israel, renouncing violence and respecting previous agreements with Israel.
Abbas' Fatah Party and Hamas signed a unity deal in Cairo this May in a bid to end a four-year-rift that left the more moderate Fatah administering the West Bank, and Islamist Hamas controlling Gaza. This split was considered a major obstacle to the formation of a future Palestinian state.
The two parties had planned to hold elections for the creation of a new joint government, but Abbas has expressed concern that a unity government might be rejected by the West.
The Palestinian president does not want to wage two diplomatic battles for recognition of an alliance with the Islamic militants and for a U.N. nod to statehood at the same time, according to the PLO official, speaking on condition of anonymity because of the sensitive nature of the issue.
Hamas officials responded to the report on Thursday, saying they had not received a formal request to put off talks on the formation of a unity government. Another serious point of contention is the naming of a prime minister; Hamas has rejected the possibility of Fatah’s Salam Fayyad for premiership, while Fatah has refused to back down on the matter.
Abbas said Thursday that negotiations are continuing, but he hinted at difficulties. "I hope that we will succeed, but it needs a little bit of effort," he told reporters during a visit to the Netherlands.
The PLO official said Abbas' priority is to obtain UN recognition of a Palestinian state in the West Bank, Gaza and east Jerusalem when the UN General Assembly meets in September. It would be a largely symbolic step that the Palestinians hope will nonetheless improve their leverage against Israel. Abbas was in the Netherlands as part of an international tour to drum up support for recognition.
Abbas has attempted to reach an acceptable arrangement for the formation of a unity government comprised ostensibly of apolitical experts approved by Hamas and Fatah. However, it's not clear if President Barack Obama's administration, which has been critical of Abbas' reconciliation with an unreformed Hamas, would accept such a constellation.
Abbas has claimed that any future government would be committed to his moderate program for Palestinian statehood, including the quest for a peace deal with Israel. Despite this, it remains to be seen whether such assurances would be sufficient to assuage Western concerns.
The Palestinian official said Abbas does not want to form a unity government only to have it boycotted by the West, and that he wants to avoid new complications while he is pursuing the U.N. option.
Despite the postponement in forming a joint government, contacts between Hamas and Fatah are continuing, the official said.
However, a recent report from Maan News Agency revealed that Palestinian security forces have been cracking down on Hamas members in the West Bank, and 68 members of the Islamist group have been arrested, according to statement by Hamas.
“Thirty-nine of those who were arrested were ex-prisoners freed from Israeli jails, while seven political prisoners were brought to military trials,” the statement said.
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"Nearing the end of my 7th year in a 4 year term as President of the PA, I would like for the UN to give recognition to the State of Palestine. We have no constitution, and no elected government with no elections scheduled. A variety of political/militant/terrorist groups have signed an agreement that we will share power with each other bypassing the need to obtain the consent of the governed. We have not implemented this non-democratic edict because our factions are so wildly antithetical to each other, we can't agree on a caretaker government. In the event that our main armed, UN-recognized as terrorist group rivals allow a free and fair election on their half of Palestine, there's no clear authority given to each of the elected offices in our Basic Law. Also, if elections are held, there's a very strong possibility that the aforementioned party will win a substantial role, if not an out-right majority (like in our last elections) and therefore we will as a political program be dedicated to the irradiation of a UN member state and the subjugation of all Jews and Christians in the Holy Land as per Hamas' Charter. I thank you for your support of our State."
Until recently we were made to understand that Palestinian unity is a pre-condition for statehood, because no one would negotiate, let alone recognize, with a divided country. Now we are told that a divided Palestine has a better chance. Not only that, but Abbas is holding off on the cabinet only for the duration of the UN bid, and later would go ahead with it. We are expected to believe that Abbas is foolish enough to think that the Americans are such utter nincompoops that they will be deceived by these crude tricks.
He uses the threat of improved relations with Hamas to strengthen his position. If only he used his cunning to benefit his people, they would be in a much better place.
Stop blamming Abbas, for everything. He is doing what is right. Palestinians are winning support from all the world and playing smart. Enough with the war mentality, enough with the Religeous thoughts, do you think other leaders will do more ? No one has magical powers, except Hamas, they have magical power to make Palestine and Israel disappear, and no one should give them a chance. Abbas is trying his best to put a leech on them, and control them, and teh best way to do that is to get them into government so that they are also responsible to Palestinians' everyday life. The UN Vote and Support from the world is more important than anything now. Way to go Abbas !
Dear Mr Abbas 'You can fool all your people some of the time and some of the people all the time but you cannot fool all the civilised people all the time'?
A few days ago, in the comments, someone explained how Hamas was put on the black list. Dozens of times, we were told that negotiations are useless because Palestinians are divided. Yesterday, Israel gratuitously killed some residents of Gaza who we were told were "about" to do something, knowing full well that Hamas would retaliate. We've also been assured that whatever happens, the US will veto it. Where in the name of everything that makes sense is this going, and for how long can it continue?
It was very clear from the beginning that this "coalition" between Hamas and Fatah can only be very short lived. I could not believe it when Abbas whom I consider a moderate and intelligent Palestinian made such a fatal error!
I personally feel you present a stronger shot with a unified front so I don't disapprove of Abbas trying to reconcile. The only ones truly barking at it were Israel and the US. Most of the EU were supportive of it because they knew it was necessary. Israel and the US just look for excuses and scapegoats like the true losers they are...
Abbas may be giving up on the formation of the government, but for totally different reasons, like failure to resolve differences with Hamas.
The only difference is that Hamas is honest about it's intentions.
enemy for Islam enemy for Palestine, Israels best dog in Ramallah.