 |
 |
 |
|
|
Sudan's President Omar El-Bashir, left, welcomes Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi in Khartoum, Sudan Sunday, for the Arab summit. (AP)
|
|
|
|
 |
| |
 |
Designated Palestinian PM Ismail Haniyeh (AP)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| By Israel Insider staff and partners March 27, 2006 |
|
| |
 |
| Hamas supporters, including a boy holding a "toy gun", during a rally Friday. (AP) |
| |
On the eve of an Arab summit, Hamas pressed Arab leaders on Sunday to increase their financial support to Palestinians and provide it fast, saying its government will need around $170 million a month, mostly for salaries.
But reaching that level of giving will be difficult. The $170 million a month figure is more than triple the amount Arab League members promised in previous summits, and they have already failed to meet those pledges.
"We hope that our Arab brothers would provide this support and provide it quickly because unfortunately there has been a shortage and lack of commitment," Khaled Meshaal, the political chief of the militant Islamic group said.
According to a draft resolution reached Sunday, Arab leaders at a summit this week will promise to continue funding the Palestinian Authority.
But there was little sign that the Arab League would move to ensure its member states follow through with the pledges, which have gone largely unfulfilled in the past.
The league ignored calls by Hamas to increase aid dramatically, maintaining its promise of $55 million a month to the Palestinians.
Many Palestinians who work for the Palestinian Authority have not received their February salaries yet, Mashaal said, adding that he has assured Arab leaders the funds will be protected from corruption and will not be mixed with Hamas money.
Hamas has formed a Cabinet following its overwhelming victory in the Palestinian parliamentary elections in January, sweeping the governing Fatah party from power. It is due to be sworn in Thursday.
Palestinians will be represented at the Tuesday and Wednesday summit in Khartoum by President Mahmoud Abbas and the outgoing government.
League members promised in 2002 to give $55 million a month to the Palestinians, with each country assigned an amount to give; Saudi Arabia the only one to have paid its allotment regularly. Kuwait and other Gulf countries have given as well, but still short of their pledges, while some countries paid once or twice or never at all.
Since 2003, Arab countries have given $761 million - only 30 percent of the promised amount over that period. Besides "financial commitments," which will be decided in the summit, Mashaal said the new Hamas-led Cabinet would like Arab governments to fund and invest in building hospitals and schools in the Palestinian territories.
Arab governments face pressure from the United States to stop funding any Palestinian government headed by Hamas, which the United States and Europe consider a terror group.
Mashaal said Hamas had no problem talking to American or European officials, but it will not recognize Israel or make any concessions.
Any disagreement between the group and the Palestinian president could be resolved through dialogue, and there will be no Palestinian infighting, the political chief told reporters.
Abbas hinted on Saturday that he was prepared to bring down Hamas' incoming government if the group's anti-Israel policies hurt the Palestinian people.
Later Abbas denied the "veiled threat" but insisted that the militant group must adopt more moderate stances to avoid a stalemate with his authority.
Hamas will "take into consideration" advice it heard from Kuwait's emir, Sheik Sabah Al Ahmed Al Sabah, to maintain Palestinian unity and to "deal realistically" with the challenges facing Palestinians, Mashaal said.
Kuwait adheres to the official Arab position on Israel which offered the Jewish state in a 2002 Beirut summit, full recognition in exchange for full withdrawal from Arab lands. Hamas advocates violence and refuses to recognize the pre-1967 borders of Israel.
"There are problems that will have to be solved (between the Hamas and Arab positions), and sometimes those problems are not going to be easy ones," outgoing Palestinian Foreign Minister Nasser al-Kidwa said.
Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas, on his way to Khartoum, urged Hamas to moderate its positions "so we can keep the Palestinian people out of the shadow of international and regional isolation."
After Hamas victory, internal politics more interesting to Palestinians than Israeli elections
The results of Israel's election on Tuesday could have deep repercussions for the Palestinians. One candidate for prime minister wants to start talks for a final peace deal, another advocates unilaterally setting Israel's borders and the third wants all peace efforts frozen until violence ends.
Yet some analysts say that most Palestinians are so caught up in their own political maneuverings following Hamas' victory in Jan. 25 parliamentary elections - and in their own daily struggle to survive - that they are paying little attention to the vote next door.
"I am only interested in what is going on here ... I want to know if I am going to receive my salary next month and I am curious to know if the Palestinian Authority will continue or collapse," said Fathi Zaiden, 40, an officer in the Palestinian security forces in Jenin.
The Palestinian election is also playing a role in Israel's campaign, with hardline Likud candidate Benjamin Netanyahu using the slogan "strong against Hamas" in campaign posters plastered on billboards and on the sides of buses.
Acting Prime Minister Ehud Olmert's centrist Kadima Party, the favorite to win, is running on a platform of drawing Israel's final borders within four years, if necessary by unilaterally pulling out of parts of Judea and Samaria, while strengthening Israel's main settlement blocs.
Labor's candidate, Amir Peretz, calls for new peace talks, while Netanyahu takes a harder line with the Palestinians.
Palestinians say no matter who Israelis vote in, life in Judea, Samaria and the Gaza Strip will remain the same: Joblessness will be high, poverty severe and peace will remain a distant dream.
Farhat Asaad, Hamas' West Bank leader, said talks with Israel are a dead end, and a freeze in negotiations might be more beneficial to Palestinians in the long run.
"Not having negotiations doesn't mean we are not accomplishing our goals," he said. "Ten years of negotiations did not dismantle settlements, but when Israel declared it has no partner for negotiations on the Palestinian side it did what it never did in negotiations and withdrew from all Gaza settlements and dismantled them."
Despite the political upheavals among Israelis and Palestinians, Ismail Mehjez, a 50-year-old resident of Gaza's rundown Shati refugee camp, is not expecting any changes after the election.
"A white dog, a black dog. A dog is a dog," Mahjez said, describing the Israeli candidates with an Arab proverb. "Even if Sharon comes back ... it makes no difference."
Abbas said whoever forms the next Israeli government should deal with the Palestinians rather than take unilateral action.
"We say that any Israeli government should be dealing with us and not to neglect the existence of the Palestinian side," Abbas said. "We will not accept (unilateral action). Here is a Palestinian partner who is ready to sit at the negotiating table to present all the issues and discuss them. But the Israelis are acting as if they were alone."
He called for Israel and the Palestinians to hold "quiet negotiations - not secret and not public, but out of the spotlight."
"If we succeed, we will carry on with them. If not, then nothing is lost," he said.
AP contributed to this report.
|
|
 
|
|
|
|
Click on the blue headline to read a Talkback comment and respond to it. Click on the  icon to send a private email to the talkback writer. The icon appears only if the writer has decided to be contacted. If no popup window appears, please make sure your popup blocker allows israelinsider.com.
|
|
| |
|
|
