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PA President Mahmoud Abbas, Tuesday (AP)
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| By Associated Press May 11, 2006 |
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Senior members of the rival Hamas and Fatah factions have forged a joint platform, including acceptance of a Palestinian state alongside Israel, said Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas. But on closer inspection, the evidence for the claimed seemed increasingly specious.
It was unclear whether Hamas, particularly the group's hard-line leaders abroad, will back the program, which would signal a major softening of positions. Until now, Hamas has balked at the West's demands that it renounce violence, recognize Israel and accept existing peace agreements.
The document was formulated by senior Hamas and Fatah members who are imprisoned by Israel, and was presented to Abbas on Wednesday.
Abbas, the moderate leader of Fatah, said he backs the draft which also authorizes him to lead peace talks with Israel. "This document is very important. I adopt the position of those heroes," he said late Wednesday, referring to the prisoners. "It includes a deep and realistic political vision that to a very large extent represents my point of view ... and thus I adopt it."
Senior Hamas officials were not immediately available for comment. Hamas legislator Salah Bardawil said he has not seen the document, but that the views of the Hamas prisoners are considered important.
Hamas and Fatah, bitter political rivals, are to hold crucial talks in two weeks to try to settle their differences, and the draft could be part of the negotiations.
The negotiations were held in Israel's Hadarim Prison, where Fatah leader Marwan Barghouti and Abdel Khaleq Natche of Hamas are serving time. It was not clear whether Natche had the blessing of the Hamas leadership abroad, including Syrian-based Khaled Mashaal.
The document calls for the establishment of a Palestinian state "in all the lands occupied in 1967," a reference to Judea, Samaria, Gaza Strip and east Jerusalem. Such an implied recognition of Israel would mark a major breakthrough for Hamas, which remains committed to the destruction of the Jewish state.
However, the document did not say that the Palestinians would not work for liberating the rest of what they consider their homeland (including all of Israel), nor would they renounce in any way their "right of return" -- a ploy designed to flood all of Israel with the descendants of of those who fled or were expelled in the Arab-instigated war against the fledgling Jewish State.
The draft does not renounce violence. Instead, it says that Palestinians would "focus their resistance on the lands occupied in 1967." Later, of course, the focus would change, consistent with the principles of the PLO's 1975 Plan of Stages, which sees the destruction of Israel as occurring incrementally, with each piece of land from which Israel retreats being used as a platform for additional attacks designed to compel additional withdrawals.
Hamas has largely observed a truce since February 2005, but has refused to formally renounce violence. Barghouti has supported continued shooting and bombing attacks against Israelis in Judea, Samaria and Gaza, in contrast to Abbas who opposes all violence.
The document would authorize Abbas to lead negotiations with Israel, based on what is referred to as "Arab legitimacy," an apparent reference to an Arab peace initiative which calls for a two-state solution. Any agreement would either put before the Palestinian parliament or submitted to a referendum of Palestinians everywhere.
Based on the program, Fatah would join the Hamas government, the document said.
AP contributed to this report.
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