Palestinian Authority (PA) chairman Mahmoud Abbas on Sunday claimed he would not appoint to the Palestinian unity government ministers from Hamas who will not openly and publicly recognize the State of Israel, Haaretz reports.
Abbas's comments were made during a meeting he held in his headquarters in Ramallah with former Knesset members from the so-called “Parliament of Peace Forum”: former Labor chairman Amram Mitzna, former ministers Ophir Pines-Paz and Raleb Majadele, and former MKs Colette Avital and Taleb el-Sana.
During the meeting, Abbas shared with his guests his plans moving forward, following the reconciliation agreement signed between his Fatah movement and Hamas. Mitzna, who spoke to Haaretz, noted that Abbas "understands that it is in the Palestinian interest to ensure that his government has a clear pyramid of responsibility and authority and that there is one level of military and police system."
Abbas also criticized the Israeli government and Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu, accusing them of preventing progress in the peace process.
"Abbas was very upset and said he understood that the Israeli government would not allow progress toward two states for two peoples,” the former MKs present at the meeting told Haaretz.
Abbas, they continued, “said that he is a partner for peace, but he is not sure that there is such a partner on the Israeli side, and added: 'I may hand Netanyahu the keys soon.'" READ MORE
