07/04/2004

Palestine Media Center – PMC

The United States and Israel on Tuesday seemed set to abort serious ongoing efforts by the Palestinian Leadership to put its house in order by creating a unified national leadership that includes the non-PLO member groups Hamas and Islamic Jihad in the institutions of both the Palestine Liberation Organization and the Palestine National Authority (PNA).

The Palestinian Leadership has announced that it welcomes the participation of all Islamic and national movements in the institutions of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) and the PNA.

President Yaser Arafat wants Hamas to be integrated into the political structure of the PNA, he said in an interview published in Germany on Monday.

“They (Hamas) were there from the beginning, even if they did later break away,” Arafat said in a German translation of remarks to the weekly news magazine Focus.

“My policy has always been dialogue ... and I wanted to send three people to the Arab League summit as representatives for the Palestinians, including a Hamas representative,” he said.

Arafat’s media adviser Nabil Abu Rudeinah on Tuesday confirmed Arafat’s statement.

“We advocate political plurality,” Abu Rudeinah confirmed, noting that the Islamic Resistance Movement “Hamas” had “declined to take part in (previous Palestinian) elections but we did not prevent them” from participating, the Jerusalem-based Al-Quds daily reported Wednesday.

“In principle, … all are invited to take part if and when elections are held,” he stressed.

Earlier, the Palestinian daily Al-Ayyam, which is close to Arafat’s ruling National Liberation Movement “Fatah”, said Arafat is willing to include Hamas and Islamic Jihad in a unified leadership group.

Al-Ayyam on Monday quoted Fatah Central Committee member Hani al-Hassan as saying the new leadership group could easily coexist alongside the existing leadership structure.

“Forming a unified Palestinian leadership does not contradict with the Palestinian Authority as it is an internal Palestinian factional issue,” it quoted him as saying.

Later, Islamic Jihad and Hamas conditionally welcomed the offer.

Sa’eed Siyam, a senior Hamas representative in Gaza, told reporters that “Hamas... will be part of the leadership after the Israeli pullout.”

“Everyone in Hamas, whether a leader or a member, wants peace. This is what we have always said, but the kind of peace we want is based on justice and getting our legitimate rights.” He said.

Hamas politburo member and the movement’s representative in Lebanon Osama Hamdan confirmed Siyam’s statements.

Hamas’ “participation in decision-making should be a real and not a cosmetic participation,” Hamdan told Al-Ayyam.

US: Hamas Should Be Ostracized, not Welcomed

The United States on Tuesday warned the PNA against inviting Hamas to join a unified Palestinian leadership.

State Department Deputy Spokesman Adam Ereli on Tuesday voiced the American opposition to such a move, calling for Hamas to be ostracized and stripped of any power and influence as an organization.

“Our view is that, far from being welcomed into any partnership or cooperation, Hamas should be ostracized and disempowered as an organization,” he said.

Earlier, US Ambassador to Egypt David Welch said that the intended partial Israeli withdrawal from the Gaza strip could restart peace process, Israel Radio reported Tuesday.

However in an interview he gave to an Egyptian television network, Welch criticized Palestinian Prime Minister Ahmad Qurei (Abu Ala’) and the PNA for not doing enough to rein in extremist groups, the radio said.

Israel: Arafat Moving to the Extreme

Israel has also dismissed Arafat’s call to Hamas and Islamic Jihad to join a new united leadership organisation saying it was “a desperate bid to stay in power.”

“Arafat will do anything to stay in power, to get away from the isolation that he finds himself in,” a source in the Prime Minister Ariel Sharon’s office reportedly told Israel’s daily The Jerusalem Post.

“Instead of issuing statements as to whether he will accept reforms, he is moving further to the extreme and wants to join forces with an organisation that very clearly does not want any negotiations with Israel or compromises,” the source said.

The Higher Follow-up Committee of Palestinian national and Islamic groups on Saturday resumed inter-Palestinian dialogue in Gaza City, to form a unified national platform and a unified national leadership as the basis for non-PLO members, including Hamas and Islamic Jihad, to join the Palestinian leadership in the decision-making process.

The committee also discussed possible coordination after a proposed pullback of Israeli occupation troops from the Gaza Strip.

The Gaza inter-Palestinian dialogue is a prelude to upcoming national dialogue to be sponsored by Egypt in Cairo.