Fatah and Hamas Broker Reconciliation Agreement in Cairo, Israel Deems It as a Victory of Terrorism
Mahmoud Abbas and Khaled Mashaal (onejerusalem.com)
The reconciliation deal the leaders of Hamas and Fatah struck in Cairo was condemned on Wednesday by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as a terrible blow to the peace process between his country and the Palestinians.
Netanyahu deemed what happened today in the capital of Egypt as a victory of terrorism and a terrible loss for peace.
He made this statement in front of the press in London, where he is expected to hold talks with his British counterpart David Cameron.
Netanyahu reminded that Hamas condemned two days ago the killing of terrorist leader Osama bin Laden, and said that two days ago terrorism received a powerful blow, while today, by the agreement in Cairo, it had a victory.
“When Abu Mazen embraces Hamas,” Netanyahu said, “this is a tremendous setback for peace and a great advance for terror.”
In turn, outgoing Shin Beth chief Yuval Diskin said on Wednesday that the importance of the deal between the two Palestinian factions should not be blown out of proportion, because such attempts existed before.
The move Hamas made toward accepting the deal proposed by Fatah is a tactical one, Shin Beth chief says, and is motivated by the situation in the neighboring Syria, where the Assad regime is on the brink of collapse.
In the new situation, Hamas is attempting to improve relationship with Egypt and its new regime.
Diskin is of the opinion that the relation between Hamas and Fatah is still volatile, and that their agreement is still pending on the fulfillment of all the clauses in it, which will be very difficult to do.
However, he says, if the representation of Fatah in Gaza and Hamas in the West Bank fortifies, the agreement signed today could bring the two organizations close enough to cooperate in every way.
Fatah and Hamas Coats of Arms (onejerusalem.com)
Diskin advises that under no circumstances the money flow toward the National Palestinian Authority should be stopped. As long as Palestinian Authority is in place, he added, there is no reason to think that policy would be changed toward Israel.
Khaled Meshaal, leader of Hamas, and Mahmoud Abbas, President of the Palestinian Authority, signed an agreement on Wednesday in Cairo, by which they end a four-year strife and decades of mistrust.
The two parties emphasized their wish to do what it takes in order to see the goal of an independent Palestinian state accomplished.
Abbas rejected Israeli accusations, saying the Israelis use this reconciliations to blame the Palestinians for the stalemate of the peace negotiations. He added that Israel has a simple choice to make: peace over settlements.
The whole agreement in Cairo came close to being spoiled by Mahmoud Abbas who wanted to be the only speaker at the ceremony, thus emphasizing his leading position of the entire Palestinian nation.
