Washington: The United States would have to reconsider its assistance to the Palestinians if Islamist group Hamas and the Palestine Liberation Organisation (PLO) form a government together, a senior US administration official said on Thursday.
“Any Palestinian government must unambiguously and explicitly commit to non-violence, recognition of the state of Israel, and acceptance of previous agreements and obligations between the parties,” the official said, speaking to Reuters on condition of anonymity.
“If a new Palestinian government is formed, we will assess it based on its adherence to the stipulations above, its policies and actions, and will determine any implications for our assistance based on US law,” the official said.
The Gaza-based Hamas and President Mahmoud Abbas’s PLO announced a unity pact on Wednesday, deepening a crisis in US-brokered peace talks with Israel. The move, coming after a long line of failed efforts to reconcile after seven years of internal bickering, envisions a unity government within five weeks and national elections six months later.
However, providing US aid to a unity government that includes Hamas would be assistance to a group the United States lists as a terrorist organisation. Both the United States and Israel greeted the announcement of the unity pact with dismay. Israel cancelled a session of talks with the Palestinians that had been scheduled for Wednesday and the State Department said the move could derail peace efforts.
“We are following reports of Palestinian reconciliation efforts,” the US official who spoke on Thursday said. “We have been clear about the principles that must guide a Palestinian government in order for it to play a constructive role in achieving peace and building an independent Palestinian state.”
Washington said earlier this month that it was reviewing its push for a Middle East peace agreement but a spiral of tit-for-tat moves by Israel and the Palestinians have thrown the talks in the air. First Israel reneged on a pledge to release a batch of Palestinian prisoners. The Palestinians responded by pushing ahead with plans to sign onto international treaties at the United Nations.
A series of tit-for-tat moves have ensued in the aftermath crushing hopes to revive peace talks. US Secretary of State John Kerry, who has invested more than a year of intensive shuttle diplomacy in the talks process, has said there were “limits” to the time Washington could devote to it.
