.- Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, denied on Thursday that the military potential alliance with Hamas will undermine peace talks with Israel, insisting that retain control of foreign policy and a determination to solve the Palestinian- Israeli. The pro-Western Fatah party, who heads the moderate Abbas, announced Wednesday, along with his opponent Hamas, a draft agreement to end their four-year conflict has left Palestinians with two rival governments in the West Bank and Gaza Strip.
Israel and Western countries coolly received the reconciliation plan, under which Hamas would be part of a unity government. Abbas said he would accept immediately if the Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, calls to resume peace talks, especially after Israel fulfilled his request to stop construction of Jewish settlements in Palestinian territories.
Recent peace efforts, supported by the United States, failed in September, three weeks after starting because Israel had resumed such construction work. According to the plan of reconciliation, the two groups would form a provisional government to prepare for presidential and legislative elections next year.
Speaking in Ramallah, Abbas said the unity government's task would be limited to elections and to contribute to the reconstruction of Gaza after a devastating war with Israel two years ago. Relations with Israel would be handled by the Organization for the Liberation of Palestine, which Abbas heads.
"Politics is for the PLO and its chairman, who am I, and the government work in accordance with my policies," Abbas said during a meeting with Israeli peace activists in Ramallah, where the president has his office. He denied there is any representative of Hamas in the new government. "These people are independent technocrats, not affiliated to any faction, or Hamas or Fatah," he said.
Israeli Foreign Minister, the conservative Avigdor Lieberman warned on Thursday that his country will not negotiate with a Palestinian unity government that includes Hamas, considered a terrorist by Israel, the United States and the European Union. Washington has said the new government would have to accept international demands, and France took the same position on Thursday. 
Israel and Western countries coolly received the reconciliation plan, under which Hamas would be part of a unity government. Abbas said he would accept immediately if the Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, calls to resume peace talks, especially after Israel fulfilled his request to stop construction of Jewish settlements in Palestinian territories.
Recent peace efforts, supported by the United States, failed in September, three weeks after starting because Israel had resumed such construction work. According to the plan of reconciliation, the two groups would form a provisional government to prepare for presidential and legislative elections next year.
Speaking in Ramallah, Abbas said the unity government's task would be limited to elections and to contribute to the reconstruction of Gaza after a devastating war with Israel two years ago. Relations with Israel would be handled by the Organization for the Liberation of Palestine, which Abbas heads.
"Politics is for the PLO and its chairman, who am I, and the government work in accordance with my policies," Abbas said during a meeting with Israeli peace activists in Ramallah, where the president has his office. He denied there is any representative of Hamas in the new government. "These people are independent technocrats, not affiliated to any faction, or Hamas or Fatah," he said.
Israeli Foreign Minister, the conservative Avigdor Lieberman warned on Thursday that his country will not negotiate with a Palestinian unity government that includes Hamas, considered a terrorist by Israel, the United States and the European Union. Washington has said the new government would have to accept international demands, and France took the same position on Thursday.
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