GAZA CITY, 6 April 2006 — Palestinian Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh yesterday said that he would study if Israel made any offer of talks. He also authorized ministers in his Hamas-led government to have “contacts” with Israel in order to ease Palestinian daily life and said he would study any offer for political negotiations the Jewish state may wish to extend.
“Nothing stops ministers from having contacts with the Israelis to deal with matters connected to daily life, business and the economy,” said Haniyeh following the first regular Cabinet meeting of his new government.
“When it comes to political negotiations, that poses a problem because they subscribe to a political vision. We are waiting on what is proposed to us, we will study it and decide on our position,” he added.
Haniyeh told the Cabinet that the Palestinian government was broke and urged the international community not to slash aid.
“The Ministry of Finance has inherited an entirely empty treasury, in addition to the debts of the ministry and the government in general,” said Haniyeh.
In an important decision, the new government said it was freezing administrative appointments made by the previous, more moderate caretaker leadership so they could be reviewed. The Cabinet announcement underscored long-running tensions between the group and the Fatah faction that had dominated Palestinian politics until it was toppled in Jan. 25 elections.
“The Cabinet will form a ministerial committee to reconsider these decisions and ensure they were just,” said a statement, adding that the reviews would be completed within two months.
Also yesterday, President Mahmoud Abbas assumed security control over Palestinian border crossings. “Administration of the crossing points and borders will fall directly under the jurisdiction of the president,” said a statement from Abbas’ office. “It is an independent administration in terms of finance, commerce and in security.”
Meanwhile, the European Union foreign and security policy chief Javier Solana said yesterday that the EU does not want the new Hamas- led Palestinian government to fail but will not deal with Hamas unless it renounces violence and recognizes Israel.
Solana, speaking to the European Parliament in Strasborg, said Hamas would not be a “valid partner” for the EU unless it was prepared to eschew the use of violence, recognize Israel and stick by previous Israel-Palestinian peace deals. But “the EU does not want on principle to see the Hamas government fail,” Solana insisted.
In another development, Ehud Olmert will be formally tasked by President Moshe Katsav today with forming Israel’s next government, ushering in a broad coalition set to redraw the borders of the Jewish state. Olmert, who became acting premier three months ago when his mentor and predecessor Ariel Sharon suffered a massive stroke, led his ruling Kadima party to a narrow win in last week’s election and wants a broad-based coalition.
— With input from agencies
