THE Hamas-led Palestinian government spokesman Dr Ghazi Hamad confirmed on Monday that the current freeze of the negotiations, regarding forming a Palestinian national unity government, will be temporary and will not affect the chances of forming this government.
In a press statement, Hamad added that there is a serious desire among the various Palestinian factions to reach a national unity government.
He also confirmed that all parties will be obliged to agree to everything that is agreed upon by President Mahmud Abbas and Prime Minister Ismail Haniya.
He added that Hamas will not retreat on anything committed to in the past.
Hamad said that some of the points that the movement has had reservations on in the past, are ‘somehow being interpreted as a retreat’.
He stressed that the issue of forming a national unity government has made much progress. He said that this government will be formed as soon as possible despite ‘some problems which are easily overcome’.
Palestinian Prime Minister Ismail Haniya said Sunday that Hamas would not recognise past peace deals despite the international pressure.
‘If we were to always bend to the will of America, we would absolutely never have a state, an existence or honour,’ he told reporters, adding that talks with Abbas would resume when the president returned from New York.
On Monday, one day before his expected meeting with US President Bush, Abbas met with Israel’s Foreign Minister, Tzipi Livni, and discussed ways to revive the stalled Mideast peace process and the reopening of the dialogue between Israeli and Palestinian officials.
Abbas and Livni met ahead of Tuesday’s opening of the meetings of the UN General Assembly.
‘It was a very, very positive meeting with Mrs Livni. We talked about everything,’ Abbas told reporters after Monday’s talks.
‘The meeting was very good, important and constructive,’ said Livni. ‘We discussed the situation on the ground, in the Palestinian Authority, what we are facing . . . what are the next steps.
‘Firstly, and the most important issue for Israel is the unconditional release of Gilad Shalit, the first abducted soldier.’
Chief Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat told reporters that Abbas told Livni the Palestinians are ‘committed to exert maximum effort to close this chapter (Shalit’s release) along with the total cessation of violence by the two sides.’
He said Abbas also urged the release of Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails, including parliament deputies and Cabinet ministers in the Hamas-led government.
Israel yesterday expressed willingness to transfer millions of Palestinian tax revenues frozen by Israel after Hamas came to power and release Palestinian prisoners if Hamas softens its position, according to Mark Regev, Israeli Foreign Minister Foreign Ministry spokesman.
Erekat said Monday’s talks also focused on ways to revive the stalled Mideast roadmap to peace.
He added that Abbas and Livni also discussed reopening the dialogue between Israeli and Palestinian officials, including a meeting between Abbas and Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, as soon as possible.
The spokesperson of the Israeli Prime Minister, Mary Isshin, said the Israeli premier will not delay his meeting with Abbas until after the formation of the Palestinian national unity government.
Isshin said the formation of a unity government ‘is a Palestinian domestic matter that doesn’t concern Israel’ but stressed the new cabinet should accept the Quartet terms for negotiations, notably recognising Israel’s existence, past agreements with the Palestinians and renunciation of violence.
Abbas is also expected to discuss with US officials the projected national unity government and ways to revive the peace process.
Speaking to reporters before boarding the plane in Amman, Abbas said he will discuss with President Bush the projected government that will bring together both Fatah and Hamas, along with the necessity of restarting the deadlocked peace process on the basis of the roadmap endorsed by the international community.
‘We will tell the international community that the problem is raised before you and you have to find a proper mechanism for resolving it whether through the Security Council or the Quartet Committee, because this cause has been put on hold longer than necessary,’ Abbas said.
He said the formation of the national unity government will be suspended until he returns from the United States.
He added that an agreement has been reached between him and PM Haniya, stressing that the government must respect PLO accords.
Palestinian officials hope a unity government will end the international boycott of the Palestinians imposed since Hamas formed the government after its landslide victory in general elections last January.
Palestinian officials said the coalition talks between President Abbas and Hamas have been suspended due to the several contradictory and confusing statements by the group’s leaders.
Meanwhile, Egyptian President Husni Mubarak has said that he is continuing his consultations and contacts with Arab leaders and the leaders of foreign countries in order to advance the Middle East peace process after the state of stagnation it went through, especially in the aftermath of the recent Israeli aggression against Lebanon.
Mubarak also revealed that Egypt is conducting contacts to solve the problem of the captive Israeli soldier, Gilad Shalit, and to release him in exchange for releasing many Palestinian prisoners in the Israeli prisons.
He added that these contacts, as well as efforts, are continuous and that the guidelines of the agreement, which is not concluded yet, confirms that the Israeli prisoner will be released in exchange for releasing a big batch of Palestinian women and children in Israeli jails and then three more batches of Palestinian prisoners will be released later on.
President Mubarak did not specify the number of those who will be released but he noted that the Israeli side has expressed readiness to release a larger number than was expected.
He denied reports on the Israeli soldier being transferred to Cairo at any time during the negotiations, stressing that Egypt does not spare any efforts to support the Palestinian brothers and the Palestinian cause because it believes that solving the Arab-Israeli conflict and the establishment of the Palestinian state is the cornerstone in achieving peace and security in the region.
Mubarak said he would meet Palestinian President Abbas following his current visit to the USA to discuss the next steps towards the unity of the Palestinian ranks and to prepare for the resumption of the peace process.
Mubarak did not rule out the possibility of a meeting between Abbas and Israeli Prime Minister Olmert.
This depends on the result of the current crisis and the occurrence of a breakthrough in the situation, he said, stressing the need for continuing consultation and coordination to get out of the current situation and move forward on the path to peace.
Speaking about a reported greater Middle East and the birth of a new Middle East and other ideas, President Mubarak said: ‘Egypt is keen on its Arab identity and it does not accept any interference in its internal affairs.’
He pointed out that each country in the region had its conditions and nature.
