The Palestinians' Hamas-dominated parliament mobilized yesterday to try to block President Mahmoud Abbas' efforts to hold a national referendum on a proposal that would implicitly recognize Israel's right to exist.
Hamas' charter calls for Israel's destruction, and the Hamas-led government has resisted Abbas' attempts to persuade it to endorse the proposal, which calls for the establishment of a Palestinian state alongside Israel. The referendum debate is taking place amid escalating violence between Israel and Hamas, complicating Abbas' efforts.
At the parliament session yesterday, Hamas lawmakers challenged the legality of Abbas' decree on Saturday announcing the July 26 referendum, though it was unclear they could muster the necessary two-thirds majority to shoot it down.
Abbas, of the rival Fatah party, is pushing ahead with the referendum because he hopes that accepting a two-state solution would help the Palestinians to end crushing international economic sanctions against the Hamas government. He also thinks it would promote Palestinian statehood and diminish fighting between Hamas and Fatah that has killed 17 Palestinians over the past month.
Abbas announced the vote despite an explosion on a Gaza beach on Friday that killed eight civilians and inflamed passions against Israel. Palestinian said the deaths were caused by an Israeli artillery shell, but Israel has suggested its army may not be responsible and is conducting an investigation.
Abbas' referendum plans suffered a further setback on Sunday when a Hamas prisoner who co-authored the proposal withdrew his support for the document.
Abdel Khaleq Natche accused Abbas of exploiting the document for political gain. He and other Palestinian prisoners held by Israel enjoy great clout in Palestinian society.
Before the beach attack, opinion polls had shown widespread public support for the referendum. There have been no surveys since.
Israel-Palestinian violence has shot up since the beach explosion and the killing by Israel a day earlier of a senior Palestinian militant, with Hamas officially calling off a 16-month truce.
In the 24 hours that ended at noon yesterday, militants launched 39 rockets at southern Israel, causing no damage or injuries, the Israeli military said.
Military officials said Israeli Defense Minister Amir Peretz postponed a large-scale air offensive against Gaza militants for a day or two to give the Palestinians more time to stop rocket attacks from the coastal territory. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because the talks were private.
Israel suspended its artillery fire against rocket-launching operations until it winds up its investigation of the killings on the Gaza beach.
Although the Palestinians rockets are inaccurate and often don't cause casualties, they have badly disrupted the lives of residents of Israeli towns near the Gaza.
The sharp spike in rocket attacks have led to renewed Israeli threats to assassinate Hamas's leaders.
Tzahi Hanegbi, chairman of the Israeli parliament's Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee, said yesterday that Palestinian Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh of Hamas could become a target if he were to begin directing attacks.
Meanwhile, Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert was due to meet his British counterpart, Tony Blair, in London yesterday on the opening leg of his first visit to Europe since winning a general election in March.
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