GAZA, 20 March 2007 — Hamas, in its first rift with Fatah since forming a Palestinian unity government, accused President Mahmoud Abbas yesterday of acting illegally by naming one of the Islamist group’s foes as national security adviser.
Mohammad Dahlan, one of Fatah’s most powerful leaders and a possible successor to Abbas, led a crackdown on Hamas Islamists as Gaza security chief in the 1990s.
In recent months, Hamas accused Dahlan of trying to assassinate Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh of Hamas and of unofficially commanding pro-Fatah forces in fierce factional fighting before the unity government was sealed. “Hamas sees the step by President Mahmoud Abbas to appoint Mohammad Dahlan, a lawmaker, as his adviser for national security as a violation of Palestinian law,” Hamas said in a statement.
“The president of the authority did not consult Hamas or anybody else when he took the decision,” Hamas spokesman Fawzi Barhoum said. “We hope that the president will reconsider this decree.”
Meanwhile, a yearlong Western diplomatic boycott of the Palestinian government showed some signs of easing yesterday when a Norwegian junior minister met Haniyeh. Deputy Foreign Minister Raymond Johansen became the first Western official to meet a Hamas official in Gaza since the Islamist movement first took office a year ago.
Norway, which does not belong to the European Union, is the first and so far only European country to normalize relations with the Palestinians following the inauguration on Saturday of the unity Cabinet. Israel has refused any contact with the new government.
But following what he called open and frank talks with Haniyeh and Foreign Minister Ziad Abu Amr, an independent member of the new Cabinet, Johansen praised Palestinian leaders for securing the unity deal.
