Abu Mazen calls for 'dialogue' with Hamas
Democratic Presidential candidate Barack Hussein Obama's calls for unconditional dialogue with enemy dictators must be contagious.
Reversing his long-standing position of not speaking with Hamas unless they first return Gaza to its June 2007 status quo, 'moderate' 'Palestinian' President
However, Abbas gave no details about a future dialogue, including whether he himself would participate or seek mediation from Arab states. It was also not clear from his wording whether he had dropped all preconditions. If Abbas were to start talking to Hamas, he could jeopardize the broad international support he gained after Hamas' Gaza takeover.Did anyone really think this wouldn't happen eventually? At least it's happening before Israel reaches an 'agreement' with Fatah rather than after.
A close Abbas aide, Nimer Hamad, said circumstances dictate a dialogue now.
"The failure of the peace process, the tragic situation in Gaza, the entire Palestinian situation required thinking courageously of an exit," Hamad said. "We hope that Hamas will respond positively to the call."
In Gaza, Hamas spokesman Taher Nunu welcomed Abbas' offer. "We welcome this call by [Abbas] to launch a national dialogue, and we consider it a positive step," he said.
Abbas delivered the speech Wednesday evening, starting off by criticizing Israel for continued construction in West Bank settlements and other unilateral acts he said are dampening peace hopes.
Referring to the previous attempts to bridge the internal Palestinian rift, he called for "national dialogue to implement the Yemeni initiative in all its elements, to end the internal division that harms our people, (our) cause."
Abbas said if the talks succeed, "I will call for new legislative and presidential elections." Abbas won an election to succeed Yasser Arafat, who died in 2004, but Hamas swept his Fatah movement out of power in 2006 parliament elections.
posted by Carl in Jerusalem @ 11:44 PM
3 Comments:
All the idiots in Israel salivating over a deal with Abbas are not going to get worked up about his bedding with Hamas again.
The more Abbas' true colors are out to the mainstream media the better, since there's still the false perception that Abbas is a moderate (and the surrounding Arab coalition states being called to support him for that matter). A downside is that when the US is not needed by the Arab coalition to impose their will on Israel and get their hudna phase, they will turn elsewhere and then there will be less open Arab cooperation for meeting our oil needs and for the US bombing Iran (though of course it will help them, too). That's why I wonder if it might not be better to bomb Iran before the Arab states turn even more against the US--now they see both candidates standing against them, because Jerusalem for them absolutely cannot remain in full Israeli control period.
Carl - there is a wonderful show on PBS right now about Israel. What a gorgeous country! I've had constant admiration for it's people but no idea how beautiful it was. I hope to visit someday.
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