The situation in the Palestinian territories will definitely
deteriorate if a long-awaited national unity government fails to
gain recognition of the West and end sanctions led by the United
States, analysts said on Thursday.
As leaders of political powers are negotiating to form the
power-sharing government, President Mahmoud Abbas began an Arab and
European tour to earn support for his coalition.
"If Abbas fails to earn support for his coalition by the
international community, I think it would make no change in the
Palestinian situation, no matter whether a new government is
established or not," Hani Habib, a Palestinian analyst from Gaza,
told Xinhua.
He warned that a stronger wave of infighting in the Palestinian
territories could be resumed if efforts to end embargo fail, saying
that "this would lead to more frustration, more economic
deterioration and more poverty among the people."
Nabil Abu Rudeineh, a spokesman for Abbas, said that Abbas' tour
was aimed at gaining Arab and European support for the national
unity government agreed by both Fatah and Hamas in Mecca, Saudi
Arabia.
"We are looking forward to breaking the ice, reviving the
stalled peace process and ending embargo imposed on the Palestinian
people," he said.
With help of the Saudis and Egyptians, leaders of Hamas and
Fatah signed an agreement earlier this month in Mecca in order to
form a national unity government and end infighting, which was
considered as a breakthrough.
But, the Mecca agreement got the cold shoulder from the United
States and Israel, therefore Abbas has to exert more effort to gain
backup for a Palestinian government that is able to end siege.
Palestinian analysts believe that Abbas is stuck between the
hammer of improving the Palestinian situation and the anvil of the
West's pressure.
During a three-way meeting with US Secretary of State
Condoleezza Rice and Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert on Monday,
Abbas did not get support either from the United States or Israel
for the coming cabinet.
Olmert said that Israel would not recognize any Palestinian
government that does not meet major requirements of the
international quartet. Olmert did not promise Abbas that peace
talks on final status issues could be resumed.
Rice, for her part, vaguely said that "let us wait and see" if
the new Palestinian government would fulfill requirements of
recognizing Israel, adhering to signed agreements and condemning
violence.
Habib said that what Israel and the United States want from the
Palestinians could be seen in a designation letter that Abbas gave
to Prime Minister Ismail Haneya.
In the letter, Abbas called on the new government to be
committed to all the decisions of the Palestinian National Council
(PNC) and Arab summits and to signed agreements by the Palestine
Liberation Organization (PLO).
"PNC and Arab summit decisions are clearly recognizing Israel
and signed agreements. I believe that Abbas is a smart politician,
as he succeeded in making Hamas accept decisions that recognize
Israel," Habib said.
(Xinhua News Agency February 22, 2007)
