World

So How’s That Hamas/Fatah Alliance Going?

JERUSALEM (AP) — Ceremoniously announced last month, reconciliation between the two rival Palestinian leaderships — the secular Fatah and the Islamist Hamas — hit a serious snag Sunday, another sign that the effort is not going well.

In the latest blow, Hamas on Sunday rejected Fatah’s proposal that internationally respected economist Salam Fayyad remain prime minister.

“Hamas will not agree to grant Salam Fayyad the confidence to run the national unity government,” said Salah Bardawil, a Hamas official in the Gaza Strip.

The announcement boded poorly for a new round of unity talks set to begin this week.

Ironically, a breakdown in the reconciliation process could potentially bolster U.S. efforts to restart peace talks, since Israel has balked at engaging a Palestinian government that includes Hamas militants.

Fatah and Hamas have been at loggerheads since the Islamic militant group won parliamentary elections in 2006. A short-lived unity government disintegrated the next year, with Hamas overrunning the Gaza Strip. Since then, the Palestinian Authority, led by President Mahmoud Abbas of Fatah, has governed only in the West Bank.

Last month, the Palestinian rivals, unnerved by unrest sweeping the Arab world, announced plans to reconcile and form a caretaker government to prepare for elections next year.

For Abbas, who hopes to establish a state in both territories, the unity deal provides a way to claim to represent all Palestinians. For Hamas, the deal provides a way out of four years of international isolation.

Fearing Hamas participation could prompt the international community to cut off hundreds of millions of dollars in aid, they have committed to putting together a Cabinet comprised of apolitical technocrats.

Since a high-profile signing ceremony in Cairo on May 4, there has been little progress in the unity process.

Fayyad, a U.S.-educated economist and former official at the International Monetary Fund, enjoys the respect of the foreign donors. Abbas has determined that keeping Fayyad is the best way to ease concerns that donor money could fall into the hands of Hamas, which the West considers a terrorist group.

Fayyad is an independent, but Hamas sees him as a political figure who is close to the West.

Fatah and Hamas are set to meet on Tuesday in Cairo to begin the process of choosing a new Cabinet, beginning with the prime minister. It was not clear whether the Hamas announcement Sunday was a final decision or a bargaining tactic.

Both Amin Maqbol, a Fatah negotiator, and Osama Hamdan, a senior Hamas official, said the issue of government appointments should be worked out in closed negotiations, not through the media.

“Reconciliation is in its earliest stages and we should give it the opportunity to succeed,” Hamdan said.

Fayyad’s office declined comment.

The outcome of the negotiations could have deep implications for the stalled peace talks.

Differences over how to deal with Israel were at the heart of the breakup of the previous Palestinian unity government. Fatah favors peace with Israel, while Hamas rejects international demands to renounce violence and recognize Israel.

Israel’s prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, has said he will not negotiate with any government that includes Hamas.

With peace talks stalled for months, Netanyahu‘s tough stance hasn’t kept Abbas from drawing closer to Hamas. If Abbas cannot resolve the deadlock with his rivals, he could turn his attention back to peace efforts.

Abbas broke off peace talks last September after an Israeli slowdown on settlement construction expired. He refuses to negotiate if Israel continues to build homes in Jewish enclaves built in the West Bank and east Jerusalem — captured areas claimed by the Palestinians.

President Barack Obama has been searching for a formula to restart the negotiations. He has proposed that talks should be based on the idea that Israel would withdraw from nearly all of the West Bank and east Jerusalem, with minor modifications to the final borders reached through negotiations. France has offered a similar plan.

In the absence of negotiations, the Palestinians say they plan to ask the United Nations to recognize their independence in September.

Netanyahu has rejected a return to the 1967 lines. But if Abbas ends the fledgling reconciliation with Hamas and agrees to drop his U.N. gambit, the Israeli leader could potentially be drawn to negotiations as well.

___

AP writers Mohammed Daraghmeh in Ramallah, West Bank, and Bassem Mroue in Beirut contributed to this report.

Comments (44)

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  • NOBALONEY
    Posted on June 13, 2011 at 2:28am

    The election for the Fatah-Hamas unified government is next year. This rejection of Fayyad by hamas shows its political might, and the fact that they see Mahmoud Abbas as too moderate. I believe that Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh will emerge as the winner of the new unity government of the Palestinians.

    Report Post » NOBALONEY  
  • ohiovalleywizard
    Posted on June 13, 2011 at 1:32am

    thanks for the link. interesting stuff.

    Report Post »  
  • lylejk
    Posted on June 13, 2011 at 1:29am

    How many freaking aliases and SSN’s does Barry have anyway? This is getting crazy and out of hand and something needs to be done about it imo. Thanks for sharing that video link. Haven’t the desire to play it right now, but did do a quick search on that name. :)

    Report Post » lylejk  
  • colonial10
    Posted on June 13, 2011 at 1:16am

    If the Palestinians, Hamas or Fatah say anything about renouncing their evil ways it’s a lie. I wouldn’t trust them as far as I could throw them. Leading up to the 1967 war, the PLO launched somewhere around 61 attacks on Israel. Most of them suicide bombers. The Hamas and Fatah supported these attacks and helped in them as well.

    Report Post » colonial10  
  • HillBillySam1
    Posted on June 13, 2011 at 12:29am

    Not to worry…..nothing unites the Arabs like a good, ol’ fashioned war with Israel……and with our Dear Leader “pressuring” Israel to accept the start of “peace negotiations” with the pre-1967 borders, the green light has been given to the Arabs to pursue their own version of peace: the total destruction of Israel. Hamas and Fatah would willingly unite for this war. Syria desperately needs the distraction in order to regain control over their own people, and Egypt will be pumped-up for this right after their elections and the Muslim Brotherhood takes power in Cairo……looks like great times ahead for the Progressives in our own country and across the world…….

    Report Post »  
  • Florida_Freedom_Fighter
    Posted on June 13, 2011 at 12:16am

    ***** I Stand With Israel ***** Anti-Semitic Persons are EVIL

    Report Post » Florida_Freedom_Fighter  
  • Whirled Peas
    Posted on June 12, 2011 at 11:16pm

    SpankDaMonkey
    Posted on June 12, 2011 at 10:54pm

    .
    I fully expect to see Obama on a Camel charging across the south lawn whooooping Israeli school kids on a Whitehouse visit anyday now…….

    *************************
    Think he’ll have that stupid bicycle helmet on?? What a maroon!

    Report Post » Whirled Peas  
  • Whirled Peas
    Posted on June 12, 2011 at 11:03pm

    chubster
    Posted on June 12, 2011 at 10:32pm

    @ mrbutcherby
    MB your not much of a history buff are you. First the land claimed by the Palestinians was home to the Jews for nearly 3000 years before the Muslims were ever a pain in any body’s butt.Second Jerusalem was built by the Jews. And the original “Palestinians” were JEWS! The region known as Palestine was named so by the Romans, when they conquered Judea.I have little sympathy for a people who teach their children to HATE an entire group of people. I stand with Israel!
    ******************
    Thank you…. I stand with Israel too. Partly because of my upbringing and partly because of the Holocaust. The Jewish people have a God given RIGHT to live where they are now. The Fakestinians are nothing more than nomadic Bedouin sheep herders/botherers that are squatting on someone else’s territory. They are also the Arab street’s political football used to extract billions of dollars from ignorant westerners with woeful stories of mistreatment while failing to mention the daily missile launches into Israel.

    Would we stand by and let the drug cartels launch missiles into Arizona, New Mexico, or Texas? (yes I intentionally left Kalifonia out) Wait, they are shooting across the border and Clownitano has yet to do anything about it. Homeland inSecurity should be defunded and disbanded along with TSA…. we wouldn’t want innocent illegal aliens to be hurt in any way. Would we?

    Report Post » Whirled Peas  
  • SpankDaMonkey
    Posted on June 12, 2011 at 10:54pm

    .
    I fully expect to see Obama on a Camel charging across the south lawn whooooping Israeli school kids on a Whitehouse visit anyday now…….

    Report Post » SpankDaMonkey  
  • captgeobob
    Posted on June 12, 2011 at 10:44pm

    My loyalty and heart stands with Israel.

    Report Post »  
  • chubster
    Posted on June 12, 2011 at 10:32pm

    @ mrbutcherby
    MB your not much of a history buff are you. First the land claimed by the Palestinians was home to the Jews for nearly 3000 years before the Muslims were ever a pain in any body’s butt.Second Jerusalem was built by the Jews. And the original “Palestinians” were JEWS! The region known as Palestine was named so by the Romans, when they conquered Judea.I have little sympathy for a people who teach their children to HATE an entire group of people. I stand with Israel!

    Report Post »  
    • Tankertony
      Posted on June 12, 2011 at 11:36pm

      Excellent chubster. Lets make this the site where godless leftist trolls get to learn alittle history.
      In 48′, everyone was ready to go to the table to negotiate a plan where the Jews and the palestinians could live in peace, as they already had for centuries. Everybody that is except for the A-rabs. So they then fought a little war and lo and behold, against ALL odds, the Jews WON. (I guess you could say they won fair and square, but it certainly wasn’t fair). And oh my, against all odds they won another three wars of annihilation against them. (see quote above). Now for the godless this just can’t be. How dare the chosen people prevail. For us people of faith, well, we know why they won. And mark my words, we know why they shall prevail.

      Report Post » Tankertony  
  • cookcountypatriot
    Posted on June 12, 2011 at 10:02pm

    if the palistinians really cared for thier people they would lay down thier arms and seek peace,,,but thats not what this is about…this is about thier hatred for jews and judeism..period…they in fact love to tout how many women and children they have sacrificed to the world…but they allways leave out the part of sending missles over the border,,1000,s of missles …..intended to kill jews…i stand with israel…they were there 5000 yrs ago..and there they will stay

    Report Post » cookcountypatriot  
  • BenInNY
    Posted on June 12, 2011 at 9:55pm

    Looks like a whole lot of agent provacateurs showing up on the site. Maybe has to do with this? http://wisdomoftheblaze.tumblr.com/

    Report Post » BenInNY  
    • MidWestMom
      Posted on June 13, 2011 at 1:22pm

      “Looks like a whole lot of agent provacateurs showing up on the site.”

      Exactly how is this relevant to the topic??

      If you don’t like it here, then why post?

      Report Post »  
  • bullcrapbuster
    Posted on June 12, 2011 at 9:41pm

    The Israelis don’t use the women and children as human shields like the Muslims do. Hence the difference in the child casualty numbers.

    Report Post » bullcrapbuster  
  • SilentReader
    Posted on June 12, 2011 at 9:28pm

    Why are we giving these Supremacist Islamists millions of our dollars? Why?

    Report Post » SilentReader  
  • banjarmon
    Posted on June 12, 2011 at 9:09pm

    @ MrButcher
    the Palestinian males ( pig-chickens) hide behind their children and women therefore more deaths. They are too lily-livered to fight like MEN.

    Report Post » banjarmon  
  • islandlady
    Posted on June 12, 2011 at 9:08pm

    If you are speaking children deaths, you have to factor in the variables such as “Child Shield” and mother-child “Bombs”. I think you are leaving out the variables, and the figures you present, as an answer to the debated question, is scewed.

    Report Post » islandlady  
  • kickagrandma
    Posted on June 12, 2011 at 9:05pm

    @HIS LAMB IS SATANIC

    Thank you for the connection. Am trying to reconnect to hear it all.

    WOW!

    Report Post »  
  • Tankertony
    Posted on June 12, 2011 at 8:58pm

    A tiger is a tiger. Barbarians will be barbarians. All they understand is hatred, violence, power, and death.

    Report Post » Tankertony  
  • joe conservative
    Posted on June 12, 2011 at 8:33pm

    None of the stuff going on in that region is looking good. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uZUqKHTW5_Y

    Report Post » joe conservative  
  • nomercy63
    Posted on June 12, 2011 at 8:29pm

    I read the minutes of their last meeting it follows “Which Jewish children are we going to murder today”

    Report Post »  
    • MrButcher
      Posted on June 12, 2011 at 8:43pm

      Here’s a breakdown of civilian casualties in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict between ‘87-’10. The first number is the total civilians killed and the second number (in parenthesis) is the number of children killed. Clearly, the Palestinians have had to bury many more infants and children than the Israelis. Numbers don’t lie.

      Palestinians— —-Israelis
      2010 81 (9) 8 (0)
      2009 1034 (314) 9 (1)
      2008 887 (128) 35 (4)
      2007 385 (52) 13 (0)
      2006 665 (140) 23 (1)
      2005 190 (49) 51 (6)
      2004 832 (181) 108 (8)
      2003 588 (119) 185 (21)
      2002 1032 (160) 419 (47)
      2001 469 (80) 192 (36)
      2000 282 (86) 41 (0)
      1999 9 (0) 4 (0)
      1998 28 (3) 12 (0)
      1997 21 (5) 29 (3)
      1996 74 (11) 75 (8)
      1995 45 (5) 46 (0)
      1994 152 (24) 74 (2)
      1993 180 (41) 61 (0)
      1992 138 (23) 34 (1)
      1991 104 (27) 19 (0)
      1990 145 (25) 22 (0)
      1989 305 (83) 31 (1)
      1988 310 (50) 12 (3)
      1987 22 (5) 0 (0)

      Total 7978 (1620) 1503 (142)

      Source for these figures: Israel Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Jewish Virtual Library and B’Tselem.

      Report Post » MrButcher  
    • Tankertony
      Posted on June 12, 2011 at 9:05pm

      No mrbutcher, numbers don’t lie. But you lie to yourself.
      If they palestinians were to lay down their arms there would be peace tommorrow. If the Jews were to lay down theirs, there would be Holocaust II. Barbarians will be barbarians. And after they were done slaughtering all the Jews, they would resume slaughtering each other. Period.
      Squeeze that into your puny leftist, jew hatin’ brain.

      Report Post » Tankertony  
    • MrButcher
      Posted on June 12, 2011 at 9:20pm

      HA!

      So, if the Palestinians just gave up THEIR holy lands all would be ok, huh?

      You don’t understand this conflict in the least.

      Report Post » MrButcher  
    • Robert-CA
      Posted on June 12, 2011 at 10:22pm

      @ MRBUTCHER

      Do you know the numbers of palestinians killed by the Syrian army ? by the way the numbers on this one are horrific .
      Do you know the numbers of paletinians killed by the Jordanian army ?
      Do you know the numbers of paletinians killed by the Saddam’s Iraqi army ?
      Do you know the numbers of palestinians killed by the Kuwaity army ?
      Do you know the numbers of paletinians killed by the Yemeny army ?

      Report Post » Robert-CA  
    • BOMUSTGO
      Posted on June 13, 2011 at 12:23am

      Mr Butcher..The numbers are like they are because the philistines bring rocks to a gun fight.

      Report Post » BOMUSTGO  
    • kaydeebeau
      Posted on June 13, 2011 at 6:18am

      in speaking about the Arab / Palestinian vs Israel….“ We will have peace when they love their children more than they hate us” Golda Meir.

      The palestinians use their children as shields and bombs. They do hate the Jews more than they love thier own children. The palestinians (and most other Israel hating groups) start out teaching the glories of “martydom” as soon as they are born and have grade school armies..

      If the palestinians were truly interested in peace they would just stop the aggression against Israel and there would be peace. Period

      Report Post » kaydeebeau  
    • WarBadger
      Posted on June 13, 2011 at 2:24pm

      Mr Butcher, those numbers are nowhere near high enough for my satisfaction. Islam is a cancer that needs to be eradicated.

      Report Post » WarBadger  
  • TJexcite
    Posted on June 12, 2011 at 8:28pm

    There hatred for Israel is not as strong as there mistrust and hatred for each other. They don’t want to fight each other once Israel is gone they want Israel to take out the other side so they can then take out a weakened Israel and be the sole victor.

    Report Post » TJexcite  
  • Want our country back
    Posted on June 12, 2011 at 8:26pm

    I support Israel

    Report Post » Want our country back  
  • SnugLeotard [Glossary of Cast Flicks]
    Posted on June 12, 2011 at 8:24pm

    God Bless the middle east and their proud history of working for universal peace. Amen

    Report Post » MONICNE  
  • Ironmaan
    Posted on June 12, 2011 at 8:13pm

    One has to read but one line in the charter of Hamas to understand that there is nothing that can be done to bring about a peaceful resolution to the Israeli palestinan conflict. The line reads: “The time will not come until Muslims will fight the Jews [and kill them]; until the Jews hide behind rocks and trees, which will cry: Oh Muslim! There is a Jew hiding behind me, come on and kill him!”

    Unfortuately the United Methodist Church doesn’t understand this and has decided to side with evil against israel. So…I will be taking my tithes elsewhere.
    http://guerillatics.com

    Report Post »  
    • Snowleopard {gallery of cat folks}
      Posted on June 12, 2011 at 9:45pm

      @Ironmann

      I do understand and am ashamed of the Methodist Church chosing to do so; yet the fact that the two groups of Hamas and the other one are now not allied, but appear to soon be going at each others throats gives some extra hope for Israel.

      And I will stand with Israel as do most Americans I feel; inspite of the admins. actions.

      Report Post » Snowleopard {gallery of cat folks}  
    • GringoBob
      Posted on June 13, 2011 at 10:20am

      thank you Sir – that is the exact right thing to do

      Report Post » GringoBob  
    • MidWestMom
      Posted on June 13, 2011 at 1:10pm

      Sadly, we have made the same decision.

      Report Post »  
    • Sound The Trumpet In Zion
      Posted on June 13, 2011 at 4:06pm

      Fatah: YOU CANNOT TRUST HAMAS! Hamas: YOU CANNOT TRUST FATAH! Therefore the best thing for you two to do is wipe each other off the face of the map.

      Report Post » Sound The Trumpet In Zion  
    • DarkWolf
      Posted on June 14, 2011 at 11:48am

      good for you!!! You will be blessed by God!

      Report Post »  
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