GAZA CITY, 6 May 2007 — Palestinians yesterday rejected a US proposal that aims to foster peace moves by setting a timetable of reciprocal security measures with Israel.
The Israeli government had already rejected Washington’s plan for a “timeline” of “benchmark” steps that included Palestinian forces cracking down on rocket attacks and Israel easing travel restrictions.
“The American plan is rejected and we will work to make it fail by any means,” said Hamas spokesman Fawzi Barhoum. “The American administration is concerned about the security of the Israeli occupation and offers no protection to the Palestinian people. It wants to destroy the resistance and reinforce one side at the expense of the other,” Barhoum added.
In an atmosphere of profound mutual mistrust and fundamental weaknesses in the governments on either side, the future of the proposal seemed unclear. Leaders of the ruling Hamas movement ruled out any further discussion on it.
A senior aide to President Mahmoud Abbas, of the Fatah party, also dismissed as unworkable the draft plan presented to Abbas and Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert last week. Hamas leader Khaled Meshaal told a rally in Damascus on Friday: “I officially declare Hamas’ rejection of this document or any American, European, Israeli or even Arab project that diminishes the Palestinian cause like this ... It is a formula of lifting the roadblocks in return for halting the resistance.”
The US State Department said it was proposing only “flexible” and “informal benchmarks” without “fixed deadlines.”
A pro-Hamas website quoted Meshaal as saying: “We must keep our fingers on the trigger and prepare for battle.” One of six missiles fired from the Gaza Strip since late on Friday damaged an Israeli house. Islamic Jihad, which has not joined a six-month-old Hamas cease-fire, claimed responsibility.
From Fatah, whose rivalry with Hamas has spilled over into bloodshed since the Islamists won last year’s parliamentary election, Abbas aide Yasser Abed Rabbo complained the US plan did not put enough onus on Israel to address Palestinian demands to end economic sanctions and revive talks on statehood.
— With input from agencies
