Reconciliation with Hamas is on the way

Senior Fatah official Abdullah Abdullah told Arabstoday that reconciliation between Fatah and Hamas is on the agenda – barring unpleasant surprises. Speaking in an interview, Abdullah Abdullah, who is a member of the Palestinian Legislative Council’s Political Committee and Fatah’s Revolutionary Council, also spoke to Arabstoday about the current situation in Palestine, Israeli threats and the relationship between his country and Jordan, among other things. On Hamas chief Khaled Meshaal’s visit to Gaza, Abdullah said the visit had “an internal dimension, as the head of the Hamas Politburo was meant to be elected last month, but the election was postponed due to various reasons.” “The time has come for them to take a decision. We hope that the visit will lead to this outcome, which would end the matter of the Politburo chairmanship.” The visit could increase Khaled Meshaal’s chances to be re-elected, said the politician. On the subject of reconciliation, Abdullah said: “The way to reconciliation is set ahead. In May 2011, Khaled Meshaal said in a reconciliation meeting in Egypt that Hamas approved the establishment of an independent Palestinian state within the 1967 borders, with East Jerusalem for capital.” Abdullah expressed faith in Meshaal: “The Hamas leader backed a peaceful and popular struggle, which meant that there were no longer any political differences between the PLO and Hamas. This step paved the way to a Palestinian reunification based on the 1988 Declaration of Independence.” Abdullah said there appeared to be internal issues in Hamas that prevented unanimity on the subject:  “Last February, Khaled Meshaal and the Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas signed a document putting a limit to division.” The plan, he said, included preparations for legislative and presidential elections on the basis of which the Palestinian people, from whom authority is derived, will decide who will take political leadership. “There are new developments now, especially with the recent aggression on the Gaza Strip which has persuaded larger sections inside the Hamas movement that there is no alternative to ending divisions for the best interests of all parties involved.” Abdullah added. “The Palestinian political leadership, which in the past came under various attacks proves that all these elections were inaccurate and that this leadership is committed to the Palestinian patriotic line and insists with a strong, inflexible determination to carry on the struggle on all fronts and with all possible means.” The latest of these battles won by the political leadership, Abdullah said, was the Palestinian bid to the United Nations to obtain the non-member observer state status. The international community’s recognition of Palestine as a state -- whether it enjoys a full membership or not -- is a victory for our country.” The Fatah man added that this will “naturally change the rules of the game in the future, even if negotiations made a comeback, they will not be the same as before.” “We need to have a united vision to end division and to confront new challenges,” he said. On Fatah’s participation in Hamas’ 25th anniversary festival on Saturday, Abdullah said it was a natural step for Fatah to take part in the festivities: “Fatah has been looking after all Palestinian factions since 1965, we have promoted diversity in culture and politics.” These factions, the Fatah leader said, had “different political systems, ideologies and inclinations” adding that “we should therefore accept this diversity of opinion.” “Despite the diversity, however, we must agree on the commitment to liberate Palestine and end the Israeli occupation of this land,” he added. “When Hamas was founded 23 years after the outbreak of the Palestinian revolution, we considered them to be a categorical addition to the Palestinian struggle,” Abdullah said. “We invited them in 1988 to take part in the National Council meeting which was held in Algeria and which issued the Palestinian Declaration of Independence on the basis of which the Palestinian state was declared.” Abdullah said Hamas were invited to the meeting “for us all to be partners at a stage of national liberation and including everyone in the process — regardless of their size or contribution—so that everyone is able to join in to face the burdens and challenges, each to their ability.” “It is only normal, therefore, for us to be hand in hand together and to support one another within the framework of a unified leadership,” Abdullah said. Speaking about Israel’s threats to assassinate the Secretary-General of the Islamic Jihad movement, Dr Ramadan Shallah, and his Gaza deputy, Mr Ziyad Nakhleh, the Fatah official said: “Every Palestinians on Palestinian soil is a potential martyr, especially the ones who are leaders.” “We, Fatah, have lost 16 members of the Central Committee, and we, along with the free people of the world, also lost the late Palestinian President Yasser Arafat. We blame Israel for these loses, who also assassinated Abu Jihad. Israel has also attempted to assassinate Khaled Meshaal and the Palestinian president Mahmous Abbas has been threatened repeatedly.” The prominent Fatah leader also discussed Palestine’s relationship with Jordan:  “In February 1985 a kind of agreement was made between Jordan and Palestine over a strategic plan that respects each country’s particular conditions and simultaneously recognise the similarities between the Palestinian and Jordanian societies.” Abdullah added: “It is as if we are one society differentiated into two distinct locations: Palestine for the Palestinian and Jordan for the Jordanian.” It is this “strategic vision,” the Fatah man said, “which governs the Jordanian-Palestinian relationship and the agreement to pursue cooperation and support of each camp’s plans in regional and international gatherings, are in line with that strategy.” “The November 29 decision of the United Nations General Assembly ended speculation about an alternative homeland,” he said, adding “we have a home and we will work to liberate it. We do not seek another one.” Abdullah also said “we value Jordan’s position which has supported us solidly since that date to achieve these goals.”