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    Abbas to head Palestinian unity government

    DOHA, Qatar (AP) — The main Palestinian political rivals took a major step Monday toward healing their bitter rift, agreeing that Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas would head an interim unity government to prepare for general elections in the West Bank and Gaza.

    The agreement, brokered by Qatar, was signed by Abbas and Khaled Mashaal, chief of the Islamic militant Hamas.

    Both leaders said they are serious about moving forward.

    "We promise our people to implement this agreement as soon as possible," Abbas said.

    "We inform our people that we are serious about healing the wounds ... to reunite our people on the foundation of a political partnership, in order to devote our effort to resisting the (Israeli) occupation," added Mashaal.

    The two had reached a reconciliation deal last year to end more than four years of separate governments in the West Bank and Gaza Strip, but disagreement over who was to head an interim government had delayed implementation. Hamas, which runs Gaza, had strongly opposed Abbas' initial choice of Salam Fayyad, the head of his Palestinian Authority in the West Bank.

    Fayyad, who was appointed prime minister by Abbas in 2007 after Hamas' violent takeover of Gaza, would have to step down if a transitional government is formed.

    Fayyad "warmly welcomed" the Qatar agreement, said Palestinian Authority spokesman Ghassan Khatib.

    It remains unclear whether the interim government would be acceptable to the West. The United States, Europe and Israel consider Hamas a terror organization, and said they would shun any government that includes members of an unreformed Hamas.

    Abbas has international backing and Monday's agreement said all Cabinet ministers would be politically independent technocrats.

    With the Palestinians moving toward unity, the fate of low-level border talks with Israel also remains uncertain. Abbas has said that the talks have run their course, as far as he is concerned, and that he would only resume them if Israel made a better offer on where to draw the border with a Palestinian state. It is not clear whether Israel would negotiate with Abbas as head of a Palestinian unity government.

    As part of reconciliation, elections were initially set for May. However, the delays in implementation make it unlikely the vote will be held on time.

     

    71 comments

    • Scharnhorst  •  San Diego, California  •  3 mths ago
      No peace in the region with terrorist leaders like Abbas.
    • Hannah Westcoast  •  Dallas, Texas  •  3 mths ago
      These are the same entities that danced, handed out candy as Americans died on Sept. 11th. Hitlerly and Obama love them. We do have Sedition laws by the way. They need to be enacted again.
    • St. Sassypants  •  3 mths ago
      Religions create false divisions between people. All religions are full of false, ignorant nonsense. World Peace now!
      • Paul 3 mths ago
        only thru Jesus does man have salvation and hope son, all others are sinking sand.
      • St. Sassypants 3 mths ago
        Paul, if that's your path to salvation, fine, but there's lots of other people on this planet, and they are making their own paths.
    • Ed  •  Tampa, Florida  •  3 mths ago
      Here we go again folks. More US taxpayer dollars to support a sham.
    • usjustice101  •  3 mths ago
      The next rocket that flies from Gaza, INVADE Gaza and EXPEL each and every last fakestinian!
    • Thomas H  •  3 mths ago
      What? The King of Jordan abdicated? Jordan is already the "palestinian" state. Why would we need or want another one?
    • Scharnhorst  •  San Diego, California  •  3 mths ago
      Brenda M. make one or two ignorant Muslim posts, not 10. get out of Israeli land.
    • Temujin  •  Philadelphia, Pennsylvania  •  3 mths ago
      the next rocket that flies from Gaza, shell Ramallah.....their capitol.
    • Temujin  •  Philadelphia, Pennsylvania  •  3 mths ago
      "I hope someone punishes him and his family....."
      Muslims are savages......that is why there is no Peace.
    • usjustice101  •  3 mths ago
      Now that they're reunited they will be an even bigger welfare state, requiring even more money, since all they "produce" is murder!

      Since they consider the peace talks dead, how will they get their state? By launching more rockets? Hope they do and give Israel the motivation it needs to kick them ALL the heck OUT!
    • rosefluo  •  3 mths ago
      Thugs belongs together after all..
    • Scharnhorst  •  San Diego, California  •  3 mths ago
      Brenda, go eat some BBQ pork.
    • ChuckG - Fcuk Hamas  •  3 mths ago
      2 pigs waiting to plot their next moves agaist each other and Israel
      • OAG 3 mths ago
        Two Pigs are Israel and U.S.A.
      • ChuckG - Fcuk Hamas 3 mths ago
        oag = kafir
      • HaveSomeSense 3 mths ago
        What are you 12 chuck? Nothing intelligent to say so you call names? Are all that share your views such hate filled bigots as well?
    • quixoticbats  •  3 mths ago
      Okay... and when Hamas is duly elected again Abbas will stage another US backed coup, again?
    • Pat Walsh  •  3 mths ago
      I dont care.
    • Temujin  •  Philadelphia, Pennsylvania  •  3 mths ago
      ah, good.......the rockets will stop now?
    • William  •  Deforest, Wisconsin  •  3 mths ago
      No peace with muslim dogs give them bullets fired from guns only
      • OAG 3 mths ago
        There will never be peace as long as there is illegal zionist occupation supported by the U.S.A.
      • Honest John 3 mths ago
        Cowardly comment, William.
      • HaveSomeSense 3 mths ago
        bigot much william?
    • Randy  •  Scottsville, Virginia  •  3 mths ago
      So, if they are now an "interim" govt then Hamas is involved in daily govt. The US should now stop aid as we have laws about funding terrorists with tax dollars
      • Hannah Westcoast 3 mths ago
        Tell Obama that. He just gave over a half billion of our money to the terrorists.
    • Honest John  •  New York, New York  •  3 mths ago
      As I understand it, a newly established Palestine could take advantage of it's geographical position and maritime ports of Gaza to become a successful hub for goods being imported in and exported out of the region. It behooves all parties to seize the opportunity to make palestine a reality.
      • Thomas H 3 mths ago
        "Palestine" already is a reality. It's called Jordan!!!
      • Honest John 3 mths ago
        Oh goodness, Thomas... I wish I had more time to educate you but I don't. Please read about the revolts against the Ottoman Empire during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The Palestinians are not an "invented people". Tell your Pastor he's wrong.
      • usjustice101 3 mths ago
        @Honest John: HERE'S THE FACTS ON THE ISRAELI CONFLICT TODAY....
        It makes sense and it's not slanted. Jew and non-Jew it doesn't matter.
        1. Nationhood and Jerusalem. Israel became a nation in 1312 B.C.E., two
        thousand years before the rise of Islam.
        2. Arab refugees in Israel began identifying themselves as part of a
        Palestinian people in 1967, two decades after the establishment of the
        modern State of Israel.
        3. Since the Jewish conquest in 1272 B.C.E. the Jews have had dominion
        over the land with a continuous presence in the land for the past 3,300 years.
        4. The only Arab dominion since the conquest in 635 C.E. lasted no more
        than 22 years.
        5. For over 3,300 years, Jerusalem has been the Jewish capital.
        Jerusalem has never been the capital of any Arab or Muslim entity Even when
        the Jordanians occupied Jerusalem, they never sought to make it their
        capital, and Arab leaders did not come to visit.
        6. Jerusalem is mentioned over 700 times in Tanach, the Jewish Holy
        Scriptures. Jerusalem is not mentioned once in the Koran.
        7. King David founded the city of Jerusalem. Mohammed never came to
        Jerusalem.
        8. Jews pray facing Jerusalem. Muslims pray with their backs toward
        Jerusalem.
        9. Arab and Jewish Refugees: In 1948 the Arab refugees were encouraged
        to leave Israel by Arab leaders promising to purge the land of Jews.
        Sixty-eight percent left without ever seeing an Israeli soldier.
        10. The Jewish refugees were forced to flee from Arab lands due to Arab
        brutality, persecution and pogroms.
        11. The number of Arab refugees who left Israel in 1948 is estimated to be
        around 630,000. The number of Jewish refugees from Arab lands is estimated
        to be the same.
        12. Arab refugees were INTENTIONALLY not absorbed or integrated into the
        Arab lands to which they fled, despite the vast Arab territory. Out of the
        100,000,000 refugees since World War II, theirs is the only refugee group in
        the world that has never been absorbed or integrated into their own peoples'
        lands. Jewish refugees were completely absorbed into Israel, a country no
        larger than the state of New Jersey.
        13. The Arab - Israeli Conflict: The Arabs are represented by eight separate
        nations, not including the Palestinians. There is only one Jewish nation.
        The Arab nations initiated all five wars and lost. Israel defended itself
        each time and won.
        14. Hamas' Charter still calls for the destruction of the State of
        Israel. Israel has given the Palestinians most of the West Bank land.
        15. Under Jordanian rule, Jewish holy sites were desecrated and the Jews
        were denied access to places of worship. Under Israeli rule, all Muslim and
        Christian sites have been preserved and made accessible to people of all
        faiths.
        16. The U.N. was silent while 58 Jerusalem Synagogues were destroyed by
        the Jordanians.
        17. The U.N. was silent while the Jordanians systematically desecrated
        the ancient Jewish cemetery on the Mount of Olives
        18. The U.N. was silent while the Jordanians enforced an apartheid-like
        policy of preventing Jews from visiting the Temple Mount and the Western
        Wall.

        You can thank me for taking the time to educate YOU, John!
    • Temujin  •  Philadelphia, Pennsylvania  •  3 mths ago
      you couldn't slay a large bacon cheese burger.
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