Palestinian factions, including rival Fatah and Hamas, sealed, Tuesday, May 3, reconciliation in Cairo, ending the division between the West Bank and Gaza and opening the way for elections within a year. Representatives of thirteen groups and independent personalities have signed the agreement after a year and a half of fruitless negotiations, following talks with Egyptian officials including intelligence chief Murad Mouafi.
Besides the Fatah ruling the West Bank, and Hamas, which controls Gaza, Islamic Jihad, the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP, left), Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine (DFLP, left), Palestinian People's Party (former communists) have also ratified. "We signed the agreement despite some reservations.
We wish to emphasize the national interest," said Walid al-Awad, a member of the Political Committee of the People's Party, on Egyptian television, without specifying these "reservations". Talks between President Mahmoud Abbas's Fatah and the Islamist Hamas movement leader Khaled Meshaal, are expected in the evening.
Both are in the Egyptian capital, but did not personally sign the agreement. They will participate Wednesday in a ceremony in Cairo attended by the Arab League chief Amr Moussa, the Egyptian foreign minister, Nabil Al-Arabi, and Mr. Mouafi. The agreement, announced April 27 in Cairo, stipulates the formation of a government of independents to prepare simultaneous presidential and legislative elections within a year.
It also provides for the establishment of a High Security Council, for the future integration of the security units of the various movements in a security force "professional", an electoral commission and the release of prisoners from Fatah and Hamas . After the signing, both parties will work to complete the formation of a transitional executive to replace the independent governments of Salam Fayyad for the Palestinian Authority and Ismail Haniyeh for Hamas.
This reconciliation is strongly criticized by Israel, which sees a strengthening of the Islamist movement Hamas, which it considers a terrorist organization. The Netanyahu, Binyamin Netanyahu, Mahmoud Abbas called Tuesday to abandon the reconciliation agreement and to "choose peace with Israel," during a meeting in Jerusalem with Tony Blair, envoy of the Quartet the Near East (UN, U.S., EU and Russia).
Netanyahu reiterated that he would convey this message during his talks in Britain and France on Wednesday and Thursday, to dissuade the international community to recognize a Palestinian state without prior settlement with Israel. Israel has also decided on Sunday to retaliation (Art. fee) by suspending the transfer of funds of 60 million euros to the Palestinian Authority, the corresponding taxes and duties levied by the Jewish state on goods through its ports and airports.
Mr. Netanyahu "must respect the will of the Palestinian people and stop his unacceptable interference in internal Palestinian affairs," replied Azzam Al-Ahmed, head of the Fatah delegation in Cairo. A senior Fatah official, however, assured that the future government would be primarily responsible for managing the West Bank and Gaza, and Abbas and the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) would continue to monitor the issue of peace negotiations for the moment stalled.
"The government's role is limited to administrative matters concerning the lives of Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank," said Cairo Azzam Al-Ahmad. "But all political issues, including negotiation of the peace process will remain the responsibility of the PLO," he said. 
Besides the Fatah ruling the West Bank, and Hamas, which controls Gaza, Islamic Jihad, the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP, left), Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine (DFLP, left), Palestinian People's Party (former communists) have also ratified. "We signed the agreement despite some reservations.
We wish to emphasize the national interest," said Walid al-Awad, a member of the Political Committee of the People's Party, on Egyptian television, without specifying these "reservations". Talks between President Mahmoud Abbas's Fatah and the Islamist Hamas movement leader Khaled Meshaal, are expected in the evening.
Both are in the Egyptian capital, but did not personally sign the agreement. They will participate Wednesday in a ceremony in Cairo attended by the Arab League chief Amr Moussa, the Egyptian foreign minister, Nabil Al-Arabi, and Mr. Mouafi. The agreement, announced April 27 in Cairo, stipulates the formation of a government of independents to prepare simultaneous presidential and legislative elections within a year.
It also provides for the establishment of a High Security Council, for the future integration of the security units of the various movements in a security force "professional", an electoral commission and the release of prisoners from Fatah and Hamas . After the signing, both parties will work to complete the formation of a transitional executive to replace the independent governments of Salam Fayyad for the Palestinian Authority and Ismail Haniyeh for Hamas.
This reconciliation is strongly criticized by Israel, which sees a strengthening of the Islamist movement Hamas, which it considers a terrorist organization. The Netanyahu, Binyamin Netanyahu, Mahmoud Abbas called Tuesday to abandon the reconciliation agreement and to "choose peace with Israel," during a meeting in Jerusalem with Tony Blair, envoy of the Quartet the Near East (UN, U.S., EU and Russia).
Netanyahu reiterated that he would convey this message during his talks in Britain and France on Wednesday and Thursday, to dissuade the international community to recognize a Palestinian state without prior settlement with Israel. Israel has also decided on Sunday to retaliation (Art. fee) by suspending the transfer of funds of 60 million euros to the Palestinian Authority, the corresponding taxes and duties levied by the Jewish state on goods through its ports and airports.
Mr. Netanyahu "must respect the will of the Palestinian people and stop his unacceptable interference in internal Palestinian affairs," replied Azzam Al-Ahmed, head of the Fatah delegation in Cairo. A senior Fatah official, however, assured that the future government would be primarily responsible for managing the West Bank and Gaza, and Abbas and the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) would continue to monitor the issue of peace negotiations for the moment stalled.
"The government's role is limited to administrative matters concerning the lives of Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank," said Cairo Azzam Al-Ahmad. "But all political issues, including negotiation of the peace process will remain the responsibility of the PLO," he said.
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