Ismail Haniyeh of the militant group Hamas was appointed Tuesday
as the next Palestinian prime minister, but he refused to respond
to a demand from the president to adhere to interim peace deals
reached with Israel.
After accepting the letter designating him as prime minister,
Haniyeh met with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas for more than
two hours, their second such session in two days — an indication of
the wide gaps between the two men.
Abbas is the head of Fatah, the Islamic movement Hamas trounced
in last month's Palestinian parliamentary election. Abbas was
elected president last year, and now he will have to deal with a
Hamas parliament and Cabinet.
The letter naming Haniyeh, in addition to the official
appointment, was a one-page summary of Abbas' political positions,
according to Abbas aides who spoke on condition of anonymity
because they are not authorized to give details.
Abbas has said the Hamas-led government must accept the
agreements made by previous governments — including interim peace
accords with Israel and the internationally backed "road map" plan
for a Palestinian state.
Haniyeh was noncommittal. "We will study it, and God willing, we
will answer soon to Abu Mazen (Abbas), God willing," he said.
Hamas ideology does not recognize a Jewish state in the Middle
East, and the militant group has sent dozens of suicide bombers
into Israel. Since the election, Hamas has rebuffed demands from
Israel, the US, the United Nations and Europe to recognize Israel
and renounce violence.
Haniyeh has five weeks to form a Cabinet, and he began holding
talks with several small factions after the Hamas-dominated
parliament took office Saturday. A relative moderate by Hamas
standards and a skilled negotiator, Haniyeh said he wants to bring
Fatah into his government.
"I think the room for agreement with Fatah is large," he said,
"and we hope to reach a formula through which we can form a
national unity government." So far Fatah has refused.
The 46-year-old Haniyeh also said it was "premature" to discuss
incorporating the Hamas military wing into Palestinian security
services.
Hamas' rise to power has badly damaged chances of renewing peace
negotiations. Israel refuses to deal with the group until it
renounces violence and recognizes the Jewish state.
Further diminishing peace prospects, exiled Hamas political
leader Khaled Mashaal was in Iran, Israel's staunchest enemy,
seeking to drum up support.
Speaking to Israel TV, acting Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert
said Tuesday that the chances of a "quick agreement" with the
Palestinians are less now that Hamas is in charge.
"But the hope has not disappeared, and I am responsible for both
things, the battle against Hamas and maintaining hope, the chance
to reach an agreement," he said.
It is unclear how Israel could carry out peace talks with Hamas
in government. Abbas has suggested that he could handle peace
negotiations, while letting Hamas focus on its domestic agenda of
improving social services and rooting out government
corruption.
Israeli officials say they will not deal with a "two-headed
government" that includes a party committed to the country's
destruction. After Hamas took over parliament, Israel froze the
transfer of roughly US$50 million in tax funds to the cash-starved
Palestinian Authority each month.
Israel also has urged the international community to join it in
isolating Hamas. The United States and the European Union, which
consider Hamas a terrorist group, have threatened to halt hundreds
of millions of dollars of foreign aid once the new Palestinian
Cabinet takes office.
In the West Bank on Tuesday, Israeli troops pressed an operation
in the Balata refugee camp near Nablus. The army said troops found
more than 155 pounds of explosives, and Palestinian officials said
18 Palestinians were wounded in clashes.
The army has been hunting for militants in Balata for three
days. Residents said they were running out of food and water, and
the army allowed five lawmakers to bring in supplies. The lawmakers
are from Hamas but said they did not disclose their affiliation to
the soldiers.
The army said it removed three small West Bank outposts near
Ramallah. No violence was reported. Under the "road map" peace
plan, Israel has pledged to remove about two dozen unauthorized
West Bank outposts.
(Chinadaily.com via agencies February 22, 2006)
