Haaretz
Adar 4, 5767
Hamas accused the United States
on Thursday of trying to thwart European efforts to ease an economic
blockade of a new Palestinian unity government.
The Quartet,
comprising the United States, the European Union, Russia and the United
Nations, repeated a demand on Wednesday that any Palestinian government
renounce violence, recognize Israel and respect interim peace
deals.
The United States wants to continue to shun the government
if it does not meet the three conditions, whereas Russia and other
European governments favor a softer line.
Hamas said Thursday it
was encouraged by what it called a "wait and see" approach by the Quartet
of Middle East mediators towards the unity government.
"They [the
Quartet] have decided to wait and see until the new government is formed
and they have not rushed to reiterate the continuation of the siege and
sanctions," Hamas cabinet spokesman Ghazi Hamad said. "They have left the
door open for the possibility of opening a dialogue."
But
Palestinian Information Minister Youssef Rizqa of Hamas said: "It [the
United States] aims to undermine the European and Russian efforts in order
to continue the siege imposed on our people."
Israel: Quartet
holding firm to its three demands
The Foreign Ministry on Thursday
said that a Quartet statement issued Wednesday was a sign that the group
of international Middle East peace negotiators are holding firm on their
three conditions.
Israel pointed to statements by the Quartet after
a meeting in Berlin as a sign that the group would hold the new government
to the three conditions. "They're not obstacles to peace, they are
prerequisites for a successful peace process," Foreign Ministry spokesman
Mark Regev said.
The unity government deal between the ruling Hamas
movement and Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas's Fatah faction
has widened divisions within the Quartet.
Citing the divisions,
Hamas' Hamad said: "I believe there is a possibility to change the
Quartet's position in a more positive manner to deal with the
government."
Abbas political adviser Ahmed Abdel-Rahman said the
Quartet "will open the door" to restoring ties with the Palestinian
government once it fully understands the unity government
deal.
Palestinian Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh of Hamas has said
he hopes to announce a new government within three weeks.
Hamad
said progress was being made and key decisions would be taken next
week.
The unity agreement contained a vague promise to "respect"
previous Israeli-Palestinian agreements but did not directly commit the
new government to renouncing violence or recognizing Israel.
"In
the unity government, we have adopted a political agenda that leaves a
large amount of room for political movement that could be developed. The
political agenda can be used by the international community to make a
serious political process," Hamad said, though he gave no
details.
Former Palestinian FM leading candidate for vice
premier
Former Palestinian Foreign Minister Nasser al-Kidwa is
currently the leading candidate for the position of Palestinian vice
premier, Fatah's spokesman in the Gaza Strip, Abed al-Hakim Awad, told the
al -Quds al-Arabi daily on Thursday.
Al-Kidwa is the nephew of
Yasser Arafat and the former Palestinian ambassador to the United Nations.
Hamas is striving to gain on the Palestinian security forces ?
currently under the exclusive command of Fatah ? and to influence matters
of national defense.
Awad said that he hopes the negotiations
between Hamas and Fatah over these matters won't strain the national unity
government between the two sides.
Abbas asks EU to support new
gov't
Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas on Thursday
brought his struggle for Western support of the incoming coalition
government to Germany, which holds the European Union
presidency.
Abbas, who is seeking an end to the crippling
international boycott of the Palestinian Authority, arrived in Berlin
after meeting British Prime Minister Tony Blair.
He says the
Palestinians are committed to rejecting violence, to international law and
to meeting all agreements reached previously with
Israel - even though
the power-sharing agreement between his Fatah faction and Hamas largely
skirts these demands.
Abbas was holding talks with German Foreign
Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier on Thursday before meeting Friday with
Chancellor Angela Merkel.
Meanwhile, Hamas political chief Khaled
Meshal will travel next week to
Moscow for talks, the Russian Foreign
Ministry said Thursday.
During Meshal's visit, Russia planned to
continue its efforts toward
stabilizing the situation in the
Palestinian territories and overcoming the inter-Palestinian discord that
followed the Mecca agreement between Hamas and Fatah, the ministry said in
a statement.
Russia also wanted to help in the forming of the
unity government that takes into consideration the well-known criteria of
the Quartet, and also the resumption of the Palestinian-Israeli dialogue,
the ministry said.
Fawzi Barhoum, a Hamas spokesman in Gaza,
confirmed the upcoming trip, saying it aim was to market the Mecca
agreement and garner support for the new government.