 The two main Palestinian factions, Hamas and Fatah, reached "full agreement" on a national unity government that will include ministers from both groups during crisis talks yesterday in the holy Islamic city of Mecca. But while the decision on the cabinet posts represented progress, there was no agreement on persuading Hamas to accept existing peace treaties with Israel signed by earlier Palestinian administrations.
Acceptance by Hamas of these accords, with their explicit recognition of the right of Israel to exist, is one of the key demands from the international community if it is to end its financial boycott of the Hamas-led Palestinian government. "We have agreed to form a national unity government. The agreement will be signed very soon," the Palestinian ambassador to Saudi Arabia Jamal al-Shobaki said last night.
| You betcha, they'll sign it and then they'll violate it. |
One option considered by negotiators yesterday involved Hamas being invited to join the Palestine Liberation Organisation, with the Hamas leader, Khaled Meshaal, becoming deputy PLO leader.
This would imply an acceptance by Hamas of existing peace accords, which were almost all signed by the PLO, although it was unclear whether implied acceptance would be enough to satisfy the international community.
| Well, the Euros are gullible in that way, as are the Democrats and the U.N. |
Under the preliminary agreement, Hamas would take eight cabinet positions, Fatah five. Three of the most sensitive jobs - finance minister, foreign affairs minister and interior minister - would go to independents.
| Who will be under the thumb of one faction or the other, or will be killed because they're independent. |
Ziad Abu Amr and Salam Fayyad, both independents, will be foreign minister and finance minister respectively, although there was no agreement on a candidate for the interior ministry. The post of interior minister is crucial as it controls most of the official, government security forces.
The first day of talks dragged on through a marathon session until 3am yesterday. The negotiating teams took a short break before returning for a second day of talks. The effort made by both sides to reach agreement reflected the importance of the talks.
| Yup, can't get the money tap opened up til they have an honest-to-goodness Trucefire™ in place. |
Marwan Barghouti, a jailed Fatah leader who enjoys huge support among Palestinians, caught the national mood in an email he sent earlier yesterday from his Israeli cell. "If the dialogue in Mecca fails, history will have no mercy on those who took part, and they will not soon be forgiven by the Palestinian people," he said.
| "And I'll sit in a Zionist jail where it's, you know, safe." |
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