Fat'h, Hamas Agree to Accept the PLO as a National Reference Until Elections

Sha'ath: Progress made in internal talks?

Tuesday April 28, 2009 11:46 by IMEMC & Agencies

Dr. Nabil Sha'ath, member of Fat'h’s Central Committee and member of its team for internal talks in Cairo, stated that some progress was made in internal Palestinian talks during the Monday trilateral meeting that brought together representative of Fat'h and Hamas movement, and Egypt’s Intelligence Chief Omar Suleiman.

Sha'ath told the Quds Net news agency that the meeting was positive, and that another meeting between Fat'h and Hamas will take place on Tuesday morning, in addition to a trilateral Tuesday evening meeting with Suleiman.

He did not provide details on resolved issues, but said that the meetings are not bilateral as they are conducted with active Egyptian participation.

Meanwhile, a senior Egyptian source, who opted to remain anonymous, stated that Egypt presented a proposal aiming at facilitating a breakthrough between Fat'h and Hamas.

In it worth mentioning that Hamas accused Fat'h of “adopting stringent positions” during the talks.

Hamas spokesperson, Fawzi Barhoum, stated that the upcoming session would be the toughest.

Yet, leaders of the two movements separately stated that they are determined to reach a deal, and that internal dialogue sessions would continue until a deal is at hand.

Masri: Any government without PLC approval illegitimate

[ 28/04/2009 - 09:11 AM ]

GAZA, (PIC)--

Hamas Movement has asserted that it was open for all proposals tabled to ensure success of the national dialog sessions in Cairo away from the international quartet committee's conditions, which call for recognizing Israel and shunning resistance.

Hamas MP Mushir Al-Masri told Quds Press on Monday that any new Palestinian government should be based on national consensus and not imposed by external powers.

He explained that Hamas would listen to all proposals and ideas with absolute attention, adding that Hamas was carrying various ideals on means of resolving differences.

Masri said that any government not given confidence by the Palestinian legislative council is "illegitimate".

Preparing for a new PA government headed by Salam Fayyad in the event the dialog failed to reach agreement is a stab in the back of the Egyptian efforts regarding dialog, the lawmaker underlined, adding that any "illegitimate bodies" would not succeed.

Fat'h, Hamas end dispute over PLO

Date: 28 / 04 / 2009 Time: 10:23
Bethlehem/Cairo – Ma’an –

Rival Palestinian factions Hamas and Fat'h have agreed to accept the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) as a “national reference” until new elections are held for the Palestine National Council (PNC).

By agreeing this the parties resolved a recent dispute in which Hamas called for the PLO to be replaced with a more inclusive organization. The PLO does not include Hamas or Islamic Jihad.

The agreement is the first to emerge from the fourth round of talks in Cairo aimed at reuniting the two movements and establishing a unified Palestinian government. Both factions have labeled the negotiations a “last chance” for unity.

At the end of the first day of meetings on Monday, leaders from both parties refused to make statements about the negotiations, which were expected to end without a comprehensive agreement.

On Monday Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas said he rejected a demand by Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu that Palestinians recognize Israel “as a Jewish state,” a condition for renewed peace talks.

"I do not accept it," Abbas said, according to Reuters. "It is not my job to give a description of the state. Name yourself the Hebrew Socialist Republic - it is none of my business.”

The PLO recognized “the right of the State of Israel to exist in peace and security.” In return, Israel did not recognize an independent Palestinian state but rather acknowledged the PLO as the legitimate representative of the Palestinians.

Palestinian negotiators have rejected this demand for recognition of Israel as a “Jewish state” because Israel conceives of its Jewish nature in terms of its Jewish majority. This, in turn, would preclude the right of Palestinian refugees to return to their homes in what is now Israel.

Recognition of Israel is also an issue in the Hamas-Fat'h talks, as international donors, including the US, demand that any Palestinian government recognize Israel’s right to exist as a condition for international aid. In this sense, Abbas pronouncement could have been seen as a gesture to Hamas. In the same speech Abbas focused on unity, calling for the creation of a national consensus government through the Cairo process.

Hamas however rejected Abbas’ pronouncement as “cheap marketing of American conditions.” In a statement Hamas spokesperson Fawzi Barhoum criticized Abbas’ insistence on “futile negotiations” with Israel.

Hamas: Abbas's statement cheap marketing of American conditions

27/04/2009 - 04:34 PM

GAZA, (PIC)--

Hamas Movement reacted angrily to ex-chief of the PA Mahmoud Abbas's speech on Monday in Ramallah saying that it constituted a "cheap marketing" of the American conditions.

Fawzi Barhoum, the Hamas spokesman, said in a press release that Abbas's statement regarding the Cairo dialog constituted a retreat from the one package agreement and an evasion of what was approved regarding key issues.

He expressed astonishment at Abbas's insistence on futile negotiations with the Israeli occupation authority and his demand that any future PA government should abide by agreements signed with the IOA despite the fact that the IOA did not abide by any one of them as Abbas himself asserted.

Abbas's talk about security and stability in the West Bank was an attempt to deceive the public opinion and to cover up for the crimes of his security apparatuses and their collusion in wiping out resistance and liquidating Hamas, Barhoum elaborated.

He said that it was a shame on Abbas to ridicule resistance after its steadfastness and defense of the people in Gaza in face of the Israeli cruel war machine, which could be only understood as an attempt to acquit the IOA of its crimes.

The spokesman described Abbas's statement that Hamas was blocking resistance from Gaza by force as a "sheer lie", which reflected his attempt to smear resistance.

For his part, Osama Hamdan, Hamas's representative in Lebanon, described Abbas's speech as an obituary of the national dialog.

He told Al-Jazeera TV network on Monday that Abbas's ideas were not worth attention.

Hamdan said that his Movement would never authorize untrustworthy people to run the affairs of the Palestinian people in return for opening Gaza crossings or starting humanitarian relief operations, describing such a proposal as an "unacceptable blackmail".

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