JEDDAH, 7 February 2007 — Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah yesterday urged the leaders of the fighting Palestinian factions who are meeting in Makkah to reach a binding agreement in order to end the bloodshed. “I hope that the brothers will not leave the holy city without reaching a binding agreement,” King Abdullah said in a message carried by the Saudi Press Agency before the start of the meeting.
Abdullah, host of the Makkah talks, also urged the Palestinian leaders to take an oath before God to end the violence, pointing out that their fratricidal fighting would only serve the enemies of the Muslim nation.
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas was the first to arrive for the historic talks pitting him against Hamas’ exiled leader Khaled Meshaal and Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh. King Abdullah received Abbas and his delegation at his palace in Jeddah and expressed the hope that the Makkah talks would realize the hopes and aspirations of the Palestinian people and the Ummah.
While receiving Meshaal and Haniyeh at his palace, King Abdullah said he believed that reaching reconciliation among Palestinian leaders would be easy, if there are good will and sincere talks. “Palestine is an issue dear to all Arabs and Muslims and the whole Muslim Ummah is waiting to see their Palestinian brethren unite,” the king said.
Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert announced in Jerusalem he would meet Abbas and US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice on Feb. 19, adding extra urgency to the bid by the Palestinian factions to end their bitter divisions.
The summit in Makkah will seek to overcome differences between Hamas and Fatah regarding a power-sharing agreement and a national unity government. Nabil Shaath, adviser to Abbas, was optimistic ahead of the talks. “There is a good chance of success at the Makkah meeting because the points of differences have decreased,” he said. “Hamas will come to the meeting with new ideas which will perhaps be accepted on a commitment (to respecting) international and Arab accords,” he said. Negotiators have tried but failed for months to find common ground on the key issues of ties with Israel and the allocation of portfolios in a unity government.
Fatah official Azzam Al-Ahmed, who is accompanying Abbas, said any agreement must be rooted in the political program of the PLO which Hamas never joined.
— Additional input from agencies
