Fatah silent on militant group’s invitation to join government
GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip — A Hamas leader said yesterday that the Islamic militant group hoped to form a Palestinian government later this month after agreeing with President Mahmoud Abbas to convene parliament on Feb. 16.
“We are starting the process and we are sure that within February we will be able to see a new government,” Hamas leader Mahmoud al-Zahar said after his first meeting with Mr. Abbas since Hamas won a Jan. 25 parliamentary election.
Mr. Abbas, who has said he cannot ask a party to form a government until parliament convenes, did not formally ask Hamas to put together a Cabinet in yesterday’s meeting.
But Mr. Abbas’ spokesman Nabil Abu Rdainah confirmed that Hamas, which won 74 seats in the 132-member legislature and defeated the long-dominant Fatah party, would be chosen to head a new government.
“Hamas is the biggest parliament bloc and they will have to present a name to the president so that the president will ask him officially to form the government,” Mr. Abu Rdainah said.
Ismail Haniyeh, a Hamas leader who was also at the meeting with Mr. Abbas, said Hamas would seek to “speed up formation of the coming government to avoid any constitutional vacuum.”
Mr. al-Zahar said Hamas had already asked Mr. Abbas’ Fatah party to join in a government, but it had not yet given a response.
Mr. Abbas himself made no immediate comment after the 90-minute talks. He had told reporters on Friday it could take time before a new government was formed.
The call of Hamas’ charter to destroy Israel could prove an obstacle, as Mr. Abbas has said he would expect any Palestinian government to respect interim peace deals with Israel.
The United States and the European Union have said that a Hamas-led Palestinian Authority would risk losing crucial foreign aid unless the group disarmed and recognized Israel.
In his remarks after meeting with Mr. Abbas, Mr. al-Zahar reiterated: “We will not negotiate with Israel under any conditions.” He said Palestinians would seek alternative funding if Western aid was cut.
“We can bypass the donations from the West. We have financial aid from the Arab and Islamic countries,” Mr. al-Zahar said.
Khaled Meshaal, Hamas’ top leader who lives in exile in Damascus, Syria, said on Friday the group would never recognize Israel but might be willing to negotiate terms for a temporary truce.
Israel brushed off Mr. Meshaal’s comments and demanded that Hamas abandon terrorism and unequivocally recognize Israel’s right to exist.
Israel’s central bank governor urged the government to consider lifting a freeze on handing over tax revenue to the Palestinians, after Israel suspended a monthly payment of some $55 million following Hamas’ election victory.
The revenue is a main source of funding to the Palestinian Authority, without which Palestinian officials have said they would lack money to pay 140,000 government employees.
Israeli interim Prime Minister Ehud Olmert’s Cabinet was expected to discuss releasing the funds at its weekly session today.
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