Hamas, Fatah Mull Unity Gov't Following Israeli 'Defeat'
Ryan R. Jones - All Headline News Middle East Correspondent Jerusalem, Israel (AHN) - In the aftermath of the Israel-Hezbollah war, Hamas and PLO leader Mahmoud Abbas's Fatah faction are discussing the establishment of a national unity government. Tensions between the two groups reached boiling point this summer in the wake of Hamas's overwhelming victory in January's Palestinian Authority parliamentary election. While Fatah and the PLO umbrella it controls have signed on to a negotiated settlement with Israel, Hamas continues to seek the military destruction of the Jewish state. Hamas accuses Fatah of having betrayed the "Palestinian cause," while Fatah says Hamas is trying to usurp its rightful place as sole representative of the Palestinians. But one senior PA official told the Jerusalem Post that "in the wake of the Israel-Hezbollah war, the best thing for the Palestinians at this stage is to be united." Abbas was scheduled to meet with PA Prime Minister and senior Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in Cairo Monday night to discuss the possibility of a unity government. Haniyeh is said to back the idea, as do other Hamas officials who say Israel's "defeat" in Lebanon will convince Fatah and others of the importance of violent confrontation with the Jewish state. PA Information Minister Yusef Rizkah told the Post, "The war has taught us that resistance should be a key factor in resolving the problems of Lebano |
