Fatah and Hamas sign deal on unity govermnent
Last update - 22:05 08/02/2007
Fatah and Hamas sign deal on unity govermnent
By Avi Issacharoff, Haaretz Correspondent, and AgenciesThe leaders of the rival Palestinian factions Fatah and Hamas signed a deal on a unity government Thursday night, the culmination of two days of intensive negotiations in Mecca.
The Qatari satellite channel Al-Jazeera aired images from the signing ceremony, attended by Saudi Arabia's King Abdullah, Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas of Fatah and Hamas political leader Khaled Meshal.
Al-Jazeera quoted Abbas as saying at the signing ceremony that he had asked Haniyeh to form the new government, and to respect all past peace agreements. The latter request had been a key sticking point in negotiations between the two sides.
Meshal, also speaking at the ceremony, vowed that Hamas would not break the agreement, and that all factions would respect the deal. He asked the international community to recognize the new government.
The deal sets out the principles of the unity government, including a promise that it will respect previous peace deals with Israel, delegates said.
Announcing the agreement at the ceremony, Abbas aide Nabil Amr read a letter in which Abbas designated Haniyeh to draw up the new government within five weeks, according to the formula agreed on in the talks.
The letter of designation also said the new Haniyeh-led government would respect past peace deals signed with Israel by the Fatah-dominated PLO.
Abbas said the deal would "satisfy our people... and bring us to the shores of peace... This initiative has been crowned with success."
Meshal said the accord will "unify our ranks. There is a commitment and unity. We will perseve this partnership."
It said it would also follow a document drawn up last summer by Hamas and Fatah activists jailed in Israel. That document calls for a Palestinian state in the West Bank, Gaza and East Jerusalem, the areas Israel captured in the 1967 Six-Day War.
Hamas' agreement to that part of the platform is its most concrete commitment yet to a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, although the group has underlined that it does not necessarily mean recognition of Israel.
Hamas still does not recognize Israel or Israel's right to exist so this agreement should not free up the international community to send funds to the Palestinians, even though America's dear friend the Saudis have now pledged 1 billion USD to the Palestinians.
But this just may be the last ditch effort to prevent a real civil war among the Palestinians and if this agreement fails we may still see a real civil war.
I for one hope it fails and that the Palestinians invest some time and effort to killing each other instead of murdering Jews. If this violates anyone notion of what is PC.
I don't care .
If Palestinians killing Palestinians is what keeps my family safe then too bad, so sad.
