Abbas: I will not insist on heading interim gov.

President Mahmoud Abbas said he will not insist on heading the new interim government if it violates the Palestinian Authority law or creates disputes, in an interview with the Qatar-based al-Jazeera satellite news channel broadcast on Saturday. Abbas stressed that his nomination for prime minister of the national unity government came by mutual consent with Hamas leader Khaled Meshaal in the Doha Agreement, adding that the decision was not “unilateral” or “imposed.”  “I’m not optimistic nor pessimistic, but I have hope that we will reach a solution…We must continue in the path that got us recognition of 132 countries and a full membership in UNESCO, as well as upgraded our diplomatic representation in many countries in Western Europe and across the world,” said Abbas. He said he called on the Arab countries to uphold their financial obligations in order to rebuild and preserve East Jerusalem, suffering from the Israeli destruction, judaization and deportation policy, during the International Conference for the Defense of Occupied Jerusalem held in Doha in February. Answering a question on his position from the Arab Spring, Abbas said the Palestinian leadership does not intervene with the internal affairs of the Arab countries since the beginning of the spring, stressing that Palestinians stand with the will of the people.