Palestinian Gov't Should Exclude Hamas: Quartet

[sonz]

WASHINGTON, December 29, 2005 (IslamOnline.net & News Agencies) – With Israel continuing its escalation against Palestinians in Gaza and West Bank, prompting a retaliatory bombing Thursday, December 29, the Mideast Quartet called for any future Palestinian government not to include members of groups "not committed to Israel's right to exist".

"The Quartet expressed its view that a future Palestinian Authority Cabinet should include no member who has not committed to the principles of Israel's right to exist in peace and security and an unequivocal end to violence and terrorism," the Quartet said in a statement Wednesday, December 28, according to Agence France-Presse (AFP).

The statement of the international committee, which groups the United States, European Union, the United Nations and Russia, was referring to the resistance group Hamas, but without naming it.

Hamas, which is putting up candidates for parliament for the first time, is expected to do well against President Mahmoud Abbas's fractured Fatah in the January legislative polls.

The Quartet statement drew rebuke from the resistance group Hamas.

"The statement is a flagrant intervention in the Palestinian internal affairs," Ismail Haniyah, a Hamas leader, told the Doha-based Al-Jazeera Thursday.

He said that the statement was contradictory as it called for barring certain groups from taking part in the January polls.

EU Foreign Policy Chief Javier Solana said December 18, that if Hamas won the elections, it would be "very difficult that help and the money that goes to ... the Palestinian Authority will continue to flow".

In a resolution approved on December 16, the US House of Representatives threatened the PA that it risked losing US financial aid and other support if it allowed Hamas to contest the legislative polls.

The Quartet, which has drafted the Middle East "roadmap" peace plan, also urged Palestinian leader Mahmud Abbas to end what it said attacks from armed groups such as Hamas and Islamic Jihad.

"The Quartet noted the continued importance of security in this regard, and calls on the Palestinian Authority to take immediate steps to ensure law and order, prevent terrorist attacks and dismantle the infrastructure of terrorism."

Al-Quds Vote

Palestinians wait at an Israeli army checkpoint after the bomb explosion near Tulkarm. (Reuters)

The international group further urged both Israel and the Palestinian Authority to work together to ensure Palestinian residents in occupied Al-Quds (East Jerusalem) to cast ballot in the Jan. 25 polls.

"Both parties should work to put in place a mechanism to allow Palestinians resident in Jerusalem to exercise their legitimate democratic rights, in conformity with existing precedent."

Last week, Israel said it would not allow Al-Quds residents to vote in legislative elections because Hamas was taking part in the campaign.

But a senior Israeli official said Monday that Israel was considering dropping the threatened ban.

All Palestinian resistance factions said they would participate in the polls, except Islamic Jihad which chose to boycott the process.

Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon has vowed to disrupt the January elections if Hamas fielded candidates in the polls.

Escalating Bloodshed


On the ground, Israeli artillery batteries and warplanes continued to bombard the northern Gaza Strip Thursday to enforce a "no-go zone" it says is aimed to stop cross-border Palestinian rocket attacks.

"Our aircraft attacked six roads in the north of the Gaza Strip leading to sites from where it is possible to launch Qassam rockets against Israel, and our artillery batteries fired about 30 shells at the sector," said a military spokeswoman.

Earlier, the Israeli military airdropped leaflets over Gaza, written in Arabic with an accompanying map indicating the extent of the zone. It warned Palestinians to keep out of the area or else endanger their lives.

Israel has already stepped up offensive against the Palestinian areas and launched missiles and artillery fire at suspected launching areas, killing several Palestinian activists in recent months.

The incessant Israeli attacks have prompted sporadic revenge attacks from Palestinian resistance groups.

On Thursday, a Palestinian bomber blew himself up at a mobile roadblock in the occupied West Bank city of Tulkarm.

The attack left one Israeli soldier and at least two Palestinians killed, Reuters quoted military sources as saying.

Three Israeli soldiers and six Palestinians were also wounded in the blast.

Israel Radio said that the Palestinian group of Islamic Jihad was responsible for the attack. But the report was not confirmed by any of the group's officials.

Thursday's bombing dealt a blow to a shaky 10-month-old truce between the Palestinian resistance groups and Israel, due to expire Saturday, the last day of 2005.

Palestinian resistance factions have been observing a de facto truce since Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas was elected in January, an agreement that was cemented at talks brokered by Egypt last March.

[Syed Hussain]

ASW
i dont know if this is where i place my point of view on palestine and hamas but hopefully its not wwrong,
in my point of view i do not think hamas or any other groups should be banned from voting for their political system as they are all entitled to how they want their state to be run. each palestinian over the years has lost either their rights or their dignity or even a family member due to a lack of suppport or help from the government. palestinians dont get a huge share of supplies unlike the israelis who are given a vast amount. if a palestinian group wins the elction all of this incorrect attitudes can be changed and therefore a better future can be structured. INSHALLAh. it is when the palestininas point of view are heard the western world with react. it only seems as though the muslims are hearing the cries and no one else. if a palestinina group wins the election and has better policies every member of palestine will be able to live in peace INshallah and get a fair amount of supplies to them. INSHAALlah it is only in the hands of Allah to decide their fate whilst we can help makee their lives better and get our land back inshallah and relese it rom oppressors and from truants and faajireens. INshaallah.
may allah frogive me with all his mercy if anything i have said has been wrong or has upset anyone. ia am sorry and please forgive me sincerely.
ASW