RAMALLAH, West Bank, 25 March 2008 — Top aides of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas yesterday distanced themselves from a Yemeni plan outlining a path to reconciliation with Hamas. One said an Abbas envoy only signed the document because of a mix-up.
Under the Yemeni proposal, signed on Sunday, Abbas’ Fatah movement and Hamas would agree in principle to unite in a single Palestinian government. However, in several days of talks in Yemen, the bitter rivals failed to resolve the crucial question of how they should share power.
Hamas and Fatah briefly ruled together last year until internal fighting led to Hamas’ takeover of Gaza in June. A renewed coalition would likely spell the end of peace talks with Israel and of broad international support for Abbas. His aides said he remains bitter over the Gaza takeover and is deeply suspicious of Hamas’ motives.
Abbas has repeatedly said that he would not negotiate a new power-sharing deal with Hamas unless it first steps aside in Gaza.
Despite Hamas’ refusal to do so, Abbas sent a representative, former Deputy Palestinian Prime Minister Azzam Al-Ahmed, to Yemen to explore the reconciliation proposal — apparently to avoid being seen as inflexible on trying to mend the deep internal Palestinian rift.
On Sunday, Al-Ahmed and a senior Hamas representative, Moussa Abu Marzouk, signed a declaration that both accept a Yemeni initiative calling for the creation of a national unity government and the rebuilding of security forces loyal to that government instead of factions.
A senior Abbas confidant, chief Palestinian negotiator Ahmed Qorei, said yesterday that Al-Ahmed signed the deal because of a mix-up. Al-Ahmed repeatedly called Abbas’ office to get guidance, but Abbas was meeting US Vice President Dick Cheney at that time, so Al-Ahmed went ahead and signed, Qorei said.
“There was a misunderstanding,” Qorei told reporters yesterday. “President Abbas was busy hosting Cheney, and Al-Ahmed tried many times to contact him (Abbas), but couldn’t reach him. The talks were at the end, and time was pressing.”
Other senior Abbas aides said Al-Ahmed should not have signed the agreement.
“Hamas is trying to lead us to endless talks without backing away from its military coup,” aide Yasser Abed Rabbo told the Voice of Palestine radio. “Hamas is giving no signs of doing so. On the contrary, it gives more signs of repression and taking over more Palestinian Authority institutions in Gaza.”
Abbas said in a statement on Sunday that he didn’t consider the Yemeni plan a basis for negotiations with Hamas. Either it is implemented, as is, starting with Hamas stepping aside, or it is dropped, he said.
Hamas said the initiative by Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh was all about dialogue and could not be implemented immediately.
“Not a single article of the Yemeni initiative can be implemented without coming to an understanding — there should be a dialogue since practically speaking (the immediate implementation) you demand cannot take place,” Abu Marzouk said at a press conference in Sanaa.
US and Israeli Stand
Meanwhile, Cheney commented yesterday that Hamas, with support from Syria and Iran, is trying to “torpedo” peace talks between the Palestinians and Israel.
Meeting reporters after having breakfast with Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, Cheney said, “It is clearly a difficult situation, in part, because I think it’s true, there’s evidence, that Hamas is supported by Iran and Syria and that they’re doing everything they can to torpedo the peace process.”
Asked whether the US supports the Yemeni mediation effort to bridge differences between Hamas and Fatah, a senior administration official traveling with Cheney said the United States has made it clear that it will not support working with Hamas unless there is a fundamental change in the group’s current role. The official commented on condition of anonymity to more freely discuss US policy.
An Israeli official yesterday said Israel would halt peace talks with Abbas if he reconciles with Hamas. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to discuss the matter with the media.
