Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas yesterday asked Hamas to form the next Palestinian government, but demanded that the Islamic militants recognize existing peace deals and fall in line with his moderate policies, including negotiations with Israel, as the "sole ... strategic choice" of the Palestinians.
Abbas made the demands in a speech to the new Hamas-dominated parliament, after legislators were sworn in by collective oath. Hamas controls 74 of 132 seats, but Abbas retains considerable powers as Palestinian Authority president, controlling foreign affairs, security and peace negotiations.
Hamas quickly rebuffed Abbas, saying it would not negotiate with Israel. However, Ismail Haniyeh, Hamas' choice for prime minister, said the group is not seeking confrontation and will try to work out a compromise with Abbas. Hamas is pledged to Israel's destruction, opposes peace negotiations and has said it is not moderating its ways, despite international pressure and threats of tough Israeli sanctions, such as a blockade of the Gaza Strip.
Abbas has not yet decided whether he'd fire a Hamas prime minister who rejects his policies, Abbas aides have said.
Israeli government officials declined comment yesterday.
Israel considered yesterday's swearing-in ceremony as a turning point, after which it will drastically scale back ties with the Palestinian Authority. Israel's Cabinet is to vote today on sanctions against the Palestinians, including sealing Gaza, cutting off Gaza from the West Bank and keeping out thousands of Palestinian workers.
Yesterday's parliamentary session was held simultaneously in the West Bank city of Ramallah and in Gaza City, because of Israeli travel bans. Legislators were hooked up by video conference.
In Gaza, some 2,000 diplomats and other VIPs gathered in a government complex to view the parliamentary session, along with about 100 women from the Hamas Women's Union, their faces covered by veils.
In Ramallah, Hamas lawmakers entered the main hall in Abbas' headquarters in a group, one carrying a picture of jailed lawmaker Hassan Yousef. The group's female lawmakers covered their heads in traditional Muslim fashion.
Abbas said in his opening speech that a new reality has been created by the Hamas victory in last month's parliament election and the defeat of his Fatah Party.
"Therefore, it [Hamas] will be asked to form the new government," Abbas said. "On my part, you will find all the cooperation and encouragement you need, because our national interest is our first and final goal, and is above any individual faction."
Abbas asked Hamas to put together the government as quickly as possible, and to name its candidate for prime minister. Hamas said its choice is the group's pragmatic Gaza leader, Haniyeh, who in the past served as a liaison with the Palestinian Authority. However, no formal announcement has been made.
Abbas, who was elected separately last year on a platform of non-violence and continued peace negotiations, warned the militants they must recognize the interim autonomy agreements with Israel, known as the Oslo Accords.
also see story:
Female Hamas MPs to tackle sex discrimination
PREPAREDNESS: Given the difficulty of importing ammunition during wartime, the Ministry of National Defense said it would prioritize ‘coproduction’ partnerships A newly formed unit of the Marine Corps tasked with land-based security operations has recently replaced its aging, domestically produced rifles with more advanced, US-made M4A1 rifles, a source said yesterday. The unnamed source familiar with the matter said the First Security Battalion of the Marine Corps’ Air Defense and Base Guard Group has replaced its older T65K2 rifles, which have been in service since the late 1980s, with the newly received M4A1s. The source did not say exactly when the upgrade took place or how many M4A1s were issued to the battalion. The confirmation came after Chinese-language media reported
The Taiwanese passport ranked 33rd in a global listing of passports by convenience this month, rising three places from last month’s ranking, but matching its position in January last year. The Henley Passport Index, an international ranking of passports by the number of designations its holder can travel to without a visa, showed that the Taiwan passport enables holders to travel to 139 countries and territories without a visa. Singapore’s passport was ranked the most powerful with visa-free access to 192 destinations out of 227, according to the index published on Tuesday by UK-based migration investment consultancy firm Henley and Partners. Japan’s and
A Ministry of Foreign Affairs official yesterday said that a delegation that visited China for an APEC meeting did not receive any kind of treatment that downgraded Taiwan’s sovereignty. Department of International Organizations Director-General Jonathan Sun (孫儉元) said that he and a group of ministry officials visited Shenzhen, China, to attend the APEC Informal Senior Officials’ Meeting last month. The trip went “smoothly and safely” for all Taiwanese delegates, as the Chinese side arranged the trip in accordance with long-standing practices, Sun said at the ministry’s weekly briefing. The Taiwanese group did not encounter any political suppression, he said. Sun made the remarks when
BROAD AGREEMENT: The two are nearing a trade deal to reduce Taiwan’s tariff to 15% and a commitment for TSMC to build five more fabs, a ‘New York Times’ report said Taiwan and the US have reached a broad consensus on a trade deal, the Executive Yuan’s Office of Trade Negotiations said yesterday, after a report said that Washington is set to reduce Taiwan’s tariff rate to 15 percent. The New York Times on Monday reported that the two nations are nearing a trade deal to reduce Taiwan’s tariff rate to 15 percent and commit Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC, 台積電) to building at least five more facilities in the US. “The agreement, which has been under negotiation for months, is being legally scrubbed and could be announced this month,” the paper said,
RSS