Region | Palestinian Territories
Reconciliation talks top Hamas agenda
Hamas will support reconciliation among Palestinians if all issues are discussed and external pressure is limited, Hamas leader Khalid Meshaal said on Saturday.
- By Sami Moubayed, Correspondent
- Published: 10:02 September 14, 2008
Damascus: Hamas political chief Khalid Mesha'al yesterday demanded the swapping of 1,000 Palestinian prisoners in return for Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit.
Yesterday's speech at a Ramadan gathering was Mesha'al's second appearance in Damascus since rumours circulated that he had left for Sudan in Sep-tember.
Mesha'al responded to an earlier statement by Arab League Secretary-General Amr Mousa, who expressed anger at Palestinian infighting, specifically hinting at the behaviour of Hamas, claiming that sanctions against them were being discussed within the Arab League.
Mesha'al warned, “Do not back Hamas into a corner. Pressure and seige have been tried … and Hamas remained steadfast.'' He also called for a prisoner swap “as soon as possible'' to release “more than a thousand'' Palestinian prisoners from Israeli jails, in exchange for the soldier.
“Hamas does not want to postpone negotiations on the prisoner exchange or demand new conditions. But we refuse to be blackmailed by Israel.''
Israel, he alleged, only wanted to release 450 Palestinians. He then added, “We favour national reconciliation as long as it is conducted without external pressures and for a dialogue that puts all issues on the table.''
The Palestinian leader deemed it unfair to blame the Palestinians for the schism and “ignore the US and Israeli role''. He also called for presidential elections in the Palestinian National Authority (PNA) before current President Mahmud Abbas leaves office in January 2009, claiming that Hamas will respect the electorate's decision.
On the event of a four-nation summit in Damascus last week, rumours circulated in the Arabic press, spearheaded by the Kuwaiti daily Al Rai, saying that Mesha'al had left his residence in Syria and was headed for Sudan. According to the report, there was an “undeclared agreement between Syrian authorities and Mesha'al stipulating that the latter should leave Syrian territory''.
Mesha'al had visited Sudan last August, expressing solidarity with President Omar Al Bashir. Reportedly, the Palestinian leader went to Khartoum before the Syrians asked him to leave, given the progress in indirect Syrian-Israeli talks, held in Turkey. Mesha'al feared that if a deal was struck, the Syrians would ask him to leave. Hamas immediately denied the rumours. A spokesman for the Sudanese President added that he had no information on Mesha'al setting up base in Sudan.
Denial
Denying the rumours, Mesha'al showed up at a reception at the Orient Club in Damascus on September 9, on the occasion of opening a branch for the Jerusalem International Association in Damascus. The Syrian press ran front page photos of him, seated on the same VIP table with Buthaina Sha'aban, the media adviser to President Bashar Al Assad.
A Palestinian source in Damascus, who stands at arm's length from both Hamas and Fateh, noted, “Abu Al Walid [Mesha'al] is a smart man. He came here [Damascus] nearly 10 years ago, when the situation was different. The Syrians will never ask him to leave.''
The source said the Syrians did not ask Mesha'al to leave during the most difficult years of the Bush regime, when it would have been much appreciated by the White House, or to close down the media offices of Hamas in Syria.
“If he will leave it has to come from him, not from the Syrians. And Abu Al Walid will make sure never to become a burdensome guest for Damascus. Channels must remain open between Syria and Hamas, so that even if Syria signs peace, it can use its influence to broker dialogue between Palestinian factions,'' the source said.
Abbas will stay on
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas said in an interview published on Sunday he will remain in office until 2010, a decision likely to stoke tensions with Hamas rivals.
Hamas, which defeated Fatah in the 2006 polls, says Abbas's term ends on January 9, 2009.
"I think that the elections for parliament and the presidency should take place together, in 2010. We will issue a presidential order accordingly," Abbas told Israel's Haaretz newspaper.
— Reuters
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