Abbas Prepares to Get Tough on Hamas and Israel

(Times of Israel) Avi Issacharoff - In the past two days, the PA security services have carried out a wave of arrests of Hamas operatives across the West Bank. This PA-Hamas rivalry now threatens to paralyze rehabilitation efforts in Gaza. The PA is supposed to negotiate with Hamas on allowing the Palestinian unity government to operate in Gaza. Abbas will make it clear that if his conditions are not met, there will be no wages paid to Hamas officials and the PA will not share in the responsibility for the rehabilitation of Gaza. But Hamas is in no hurry to give up its control of Gaza and clear the stage for Abbas' people. At the same time, Abbas intends to renew diplomatic pressure on Israel. His peace plan envisions filing a request with the Americans to pressure Israel to present a map of a future Palestinian state. Abbas' plan calls for a firm timetable for an Israeli withdrawal from the West Bank and the establishment of a Palestinian state with Jerusalem as its capital.


2014-09-02 00:00:00

Full Article

BACK

Visit the Daily Alert Archive