Ramallah, West Bank — Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas asked Hamas on Friday to form a new government after his vanquished Fatah Party rejected a role in the cabinet.
Israel ruled out peace talks in what could be the first steps to isolate the extremist group after its election victory.
Acting Israeli Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni appealed to the international community not to legitimize a Palestinian government led by Hamas, saying elections are not a “whitewash” for terrorist groups.
Speaking to reporters, Ms. Livni said Israel's withdrawal from the Gaza Strip last summer opened a window of opportunity in peace efforts between Israel and the Palestinians.
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With the election of Hamas, she said, “the Palestinians slammed it shut.”
The United States and some European nations said Hamas must renounce violence and drop its demand to destroy Israel.
“If your platform is the destruction of Israel, it means you're not a partner in peace, and we're interested in peace,” U.S. President George W. Bush said Thursday. Similar statements came from other parts of the world.
European parliament members spoke of the possibility that donors would cut off vital aid unless Hamas moderated its hard-line positions. The U.S. consul in Jerusalem, Jacob Walles, said Friday that it was too early to discuss that possibility.
On Monday, UN, U.S., Russian and European leaders – the so-called Quartet of international peacemakers – will evaluate the results and try to decide how to proceed.
Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh said he had asked Mr. Abbas, who is Fatah's chief, to meet Sunday to discuss forming a new government. Mr. Abbas's office said no appointment has been made yet, but Mr. Abbas said separately that he would ask Hamas to lead the next government.
Israel was unprepared for the Hamas landslide. Foreign and Defence Ministry scenarios had put such a stunning blow to the long-ruling Fatah as a low probability, officials said.
After the results came out, however, acting Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert quickly ruled out talks.
“The state of Israel will not negotiate with a Palestinian administration if even part of it is an armed terrorist organization calling for the destruction of the state of Israel,” Mr. Olmert said.
Fatah, turned out of office by Palestinians angry over its corrupt and inefficient government, offered no help to Hamas, catapulted into leadership after its first foray into parliamentary politics.
Fatah leaders decided late Thursday not to enter a joint government with Hamas.
Hamas does not need Fatah – it won 76 of the 132 seats in parliament, a clear majority. Fatah, the undisputed ruler of Palestinian politics for four decades, got only 43. It could help Hamas, however, by serving as a a conduit for talks with Israel.
Palestinian prime minister Ahmed Qureia of Fatah and his cabinet resigned Thursday to make room for a Hamas government.
Thousands of angry Fatah supporters marched in Gaza City early Friday, firing rifles in the air and demanding that Fatah leaders resign, while backing their decision to stay out of a Hamas government.
Minor incidents marred an otherwise peaceful political revolution. A large crowd of Hamas supporters briefly clashed with Fatah loyalists outside the Palestinian parliament in the West Bank city of Ramallah on Thursday, with both sides throwing stones after Fatah activists pulled a Hamas flag from the building.
On Friday, three people were injured after an argument between about 20 Hamas and Fatah loyalists degenerated into gunfire and rock-throwing. One man was treated for moderate gunshot wounds and two for minor injuries caused by rocks, witnesses and hospital officials said.
Hamas ideology does not recognize the presence of a Jewish state in an Islamic Middle East. In recent years, however, some Hamas leaders have grudgingly accepted the idea of a Palestinian state in the West Bank and Gaza, as long as it is understood to be only a stage toward freeing all of Palestine – including Israel.
Avi Dichter, a former Israeli security services chief, said he does not expect terror to rise once Hamas takes over.
“The moment they become partner to the Palestinian government, reality will become a lot more complicated for them than it was when they were a terror organization alone,” Mr. Dichter told Army Radio.
“I think it would be illogical – even insane – for them to toe the extremist line they have been following until now,” he said. “I think we need to wait and see if common sense dictates.”
Economic constraints are also likely to curb Hamas's extremism. With the Palestinian Authority dependent on foreign aid for its survival and on Israel for day-to-day needs such as electricity, water and the movement of people and goods, Hamas will have a hard time ignoring international calls to renounce violence.
Hamas leaders themselves have hinted that despite their hard-line ideology, they will be pragmatic and not disrupt daily life in the territories they are about to rule.
“We will not let our position adversely affect the daily life of our people,” a Hamas leader, Osama Hamdan, declared.
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20060127.wpales0127/BNStory/International/
Israel ruled out peace talks in what could be the first steps to isolate the extremist group after its election victory.
Acting Israeli Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni appealed to the international community not to legitimize a Palestinian government led by Hamas, saying elections are not a “whitewash” for terrorist groups.
Speaking to reporters, Ms. Livni said Israel's withdrawal from the Gaza Strip last summer opened a window of opportunity in peace efforts between Israel and the Palestinians.
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With the election of Hamas, she said, “the Palestinians slammed it shut.”
The United States and some European nations said Hamas must renounce violence and drop its demand to destroy Israel.
“If your platform is the destruction of Israel, it means you're not a partner in peace, and we're interested in peace,” U.S. President George W. Bush said Thursday. Similar statements came from other parts of the world.
European parliament members spoke of the possibility that donors would cut off vital aid unless Hamas moderated its hard-line positions. The U.S. consul in Jerusalem, Jacob Walles, said Friday that it was too early to discuss that possibility.
On Monday, UN, U.S., Russian and European leaders – the so-called Quartet of international peacemakers – will evaluate the results and try to decide how to proceed.
Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh said he had asked Mr. Abbas, who is Fatah's chief, to meet Sunday to discuss forming a new government. Mr. Abbas's office said no appointment has been made yet, but Mr. Abbas said separately that he would ask Hamas to lead the next government.
Israel was unprepared for the Hamas landslide. Foreign and Defence Ministry scenarios had put such a stunning blow to the long-ruling Fatah as a low probability, officials said.
After the results came out, however, acting Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert quickly ruled out talks.
“The state of Israel will not negotiate with a Palestinian administration if even part of it is an armed terrorist organization calling for the destruction of the state of Israel,” Mr. Olmert said.
Fatah, turned out of office by Palestinians angry over its corrupt and inefficient government, offered no help to Hamas, catapulted into leadership after its first foray into parliamentary politics.
Fatah leaders decided late Thursday not to enter a joint government with Hamas.
Hamas does not need Fatah – it won 76 of the 132 seats in parliament, a clear majority. Fatah, the undisputed ruler of Palestinian politics for four decades, got only 43. It could help Hamas, however, by serving as a a conduit for talks with Israel.
Palestinian prime minister Ahmed Qureia of Fatah and his cabinet resigned Thursday to make room for a Hamas government.
Thousands of angry Fatah supporters marched in Gaza City early Friday, firing rifles in the air and demanding that Fatah leaders resign, while backing their decision to stay out of a Hamas government.
Minor incidents marred an otherwise peaceful political revolution. A large crowd of Hamas supporters briefly clashed with Fatah loyalists outside the Palestinian parliament in the West Bank city of Ramallah on Thursday, with both sides throwing stones after Fatah activists pulled a Hamas flag from the building.
On Friday, three people were injured after an argument between about 20 Hamas and Fatah loyalists degenerated into gunfire and rock-throwing. One man was treated for moderate gunshot wounds and two for minor injuries caused by rocks, witnesses and hospital officials said.
Hamas ideology does not recognize the presence of a Jewish state in an Islamic Middle East. In recent years, however, some Hamas leaders have grudgingly accepted the idea of a Palestinian state in the West Bank and Gaza, as long as it is understood to be only a stage toward freeing all of Palestine – including Israel.
Avi Dichter, a former Israeli security services chief, said he does not expect terror to rise once Hamas takes over.
“The moment they become partner to the Palestinian government, reality will become a lot more complicated for them than it was when they were a terror organization alone,” Mr. Dichter told Army Radio.
“I think it would be illogical – even insane – for them to toe the extremist line they have been following until now,” he said. “I think we need to wait and see if common sense dictates.”
Economic constraints are also likely to curb Hamas's extremism. With the Palestinian Authority dependent on foreign aid for its survival and on Israel for day-to-day needs such as electricity, water and the movement of people and goods, Hamas will have a hard time ignoring international calls to renounce violence.
Hamas leaders themselves have hinted that despite their hard-line ideology, they will be pragmatic and not disrupt daily life in the territories they are about to rule.
“We will not let our position adversely affect the daily life of our people,” a Hamas leader, Osama Hamdan, declared.
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20060127.wpales0127/BNStory/International/