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| Israel-Palestine-Jordan |
| Hamas keeps aloof from PLO statehood bid |
| 2011-09-14 |
| [Al Jazeera] The Hamas, always the voice of sweet reason,-led government in Gazoo is distancing itself from the Paleostine Liberation Organisation's upcoming bid for full membership in the United Nations ...an organization whose definition of human rightsis interesting, to say the least... for both political and ideological reasons. Hamas has said little about the bid, marking a sharp contrast to the frenzied political activity elsewhere in the region and beyond. In Ramallah, the Paleostinian Authority (PA) is planning a 10-day campaign, of rallies, marches and sloganeering, to promote the bid. the ineffectual Mahmoud Abbas ... a graduate of the prestigious unaccredited Patrice Lumumba University in Moscow with a doctorate in Holocaust Denial... , the Paleostinian president, will deliver a major address on the issue on Friday night. For Israelis, the UN vote, which most simply refer to as "September", is a looming diplomatic nightmare. The overwhelming attitude in Gazoo, however, has been to keep silent. Hamas officials complain that their counterparts in the West Bank never consulted them, and that no public events are planned, although a small group of activists is trying to organise rallies in Gazoo City. Many ordinary Gazooks simply shrug the whole affair off, saying it will have little impact on their daily lives. "There are a lot of problems with the proposal, with what it will mean for refugees, for the right of return," said Alaa al-Rifati, the minister of the economy in Gazoo. "As usual this is an initiative from one side." 'Wait and see' Hamas has not endorsed the bid because they see it as a Fatah-led initiative. Relations between the two factions remain sour despite years of reconciliation talks. "Because nobody consulted us, we, Hamas, do not take this issue seriously," Ahmed Yusef, the deputy foreign minister in Gazoo, told Al Jizz. Even so, active opposition of the bid places Hamas in the awkward position of campaigning against a Paleostinian state. Most officials in Gazoo have therefore chosen to keep quiet, adopting what they call a "wait-and-see" policy. When asked about the issue in interviews, many are cautiously critical. Yusef refused to call the vote symbolic, saying only that it is "a step in the right direction". "The Hamas government didn't support this step, but we didn't reject it either," said Ihab al-Ghusain, an interior ministry front man. "We want the Paleostinian people to have their national rights, but we are frustrated with the United Nations." Al-Ghusain also noted that some legal scholars have been critical of the vote; specifically, that its implications for the right of return, and for the legitimacy of the PA itself, are unclear. Officials in Gazoo are also sceptical the PA will actually follow through. Abbas has not yet submitted a formal bid to the UN, a move many Paleostinians thought he would do last month. Aal-Rifati wondered whether Abbas, also known as Abu Mazen, would back down at the last minute. "There needs to be coordination with other Paleostinian groups. We're not even really sure if Abu Mazen is still going to the United Nations," al-Rifati said. "He was supposed to submit a proposal last month, but he did not ... and he has not announced if he will go to the Security Council." |
| Posted by:Fred |