ISRAEL CAN HAVE A PEACE PARTNER WITH A UNIFIED PALESTINE, BUT WILL PALESTINE HAVE ONE?

April 28, 2011 at 17:24 (Fatah, Hamas, Israel, Palestine, Palestinian Authority, Peace, Peace Process)

“The State of Israel can and must reach a peace agreement with the entire Palestinian people, with all its factions, through a Palestinian Unity Government which represents them all. ”

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Former Knesset Member Avnery

Gush Shalom Welcomes Reconciliation Agreement Between Hamas and Fatah

Jerusalem –  The Israeli Human Rights group, Gush Shalom, issued a press statement on Thursday  welcoming the reconciliation agreement between the two Palestinian rival groups Hamas and Fatah in Cairo on Wednesday.

Former Knesset Member Avnery,  Gush Shalom activist, said “I wholeheartedly welcome the agreement reached by the Palestinians in Cairo. Palestinian unity, overcoming the malignant split, are not a threat to Israel, but a top Israeli interest. “

“The State of Israel can and must reach a peace agreement with the entire Palestinian people, with all its factions, through a Palestinian Unity Government which represents them all. ” Avnery added.

Earlier on Wednesday delegations headed by Musa Abu Marzoka, member of Hamas Politburo member, and Azzam al-Ahmad, member of Fatah central committee started talks to reach the long awaited unity deal mediated by the Egyptian Foreign Minister, Nabeel al-Arabi.

In a first response to the Fatah-Hamas reconciliation deal the Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Wednesday that the Palestinian Authority must decide whether it wants peace with Israel or reconciliation with Hamas.

Responding to PM Netanyahu  statmenet, Avnery said  “Prime Minister Netanyahu responded with the predictable futile refusal and rejection, and proved that his government has no solution and no way forward. The State of Israel destroyed the previous Palestinian Unity Government, resulting in a lot of bloodshed of Israelis and Palestinians alike, a serious error which must not be repeated.”

Avnery continued to say “ The State of Israel should support and encourage Palestinian unity, and contribute its share by opening the ‘Safe Passage’ between Gaza and the West Bank – as Israel undertook to do in the Oslo Agreement but never implemented. “

The Islamic movement, Hamas, is at loggerheads with Fatah, headed by Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, since Hamas won the parliamentary elections in January of 2006. In the summer of 2006 Hamas took control of the Gaza Strip ending months of bloody conflict with Fatah allied security forces. Egypt and other Arab countries past attempts of reaching a reconciliation deal between the two largest Palestinian factions have failed

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8 Comments

  1. A brief piece on what is required to adopt and stick to a position that is pro Palestinian by Gilad Atzmon | ikners.com said,

    April 28, 2011 at 22:05

    […] Israel Can Have a Peace Partner With a Unified Palestine, But Will Palestine Have One? (desertpeace.wordpress.com) […]

  2. Hamas and Palestinian Authority | ikners.com said,

    April 28, 2011 at 23:35

    […] Israel Can Have a Peace Partner With a Unified Palestine, But Will Palestine Have One? (desertpeace.wordpress.com) […]

  3. ISRAEL CAN HAVE A PEACE PARTNER WITH A UNIFIED PALESTINE, BUT WILL PALESTINE HAVE ONE? · Bizarre – Oddities said,

    April 29, 2011 at 01:36

    […] Link: ISRAEL CAN HAVE A PEACE PARTNER WITH A UNIFIED PALESTINE, BUT WILL PALESTINE HAVE ONE? […]

  4. David G said,

    April 29, 2011 at 01:53

    Fortunately, the Palestinians have realized their huge mistake, one caused by Fatah.

    Whether it is too late to unify, is another question. Whether Fatah sold out too much to the Israelis, we’ll see.

    At least now there is a vestige of hope especially if other Arab Nations back the Palestinians and they, unified, fight again against the occupation and for their freedom!

  5. Atlanta Roofing said,

    April 29, 2011 at 06:20

    Hamas is the stronger party… the PA has all but conceded defeat. A Palestinian government will simply be a fig leaf for Hamas even if it has Fatah ministers. There is going to be no question as to who is calling the shots – and the cumulative impact of yesterday’s development will be to push the Palestinian Arabs in a more radical direction.

  6. Israel attitude to Palestinian deal | ikners.com said,

    April 29, 2011 at 06:30

    […] Israel Can Have a Peace Partner With a Unified Palestine, But Will Palestine Have One? (desertpeace.wordpress.com) […]

  7. Graphics Design said,

    April 29, 2011 at 09:49

    Of course Netanyahu is opposed to Palestinian unity. Fomenting civil wars and destabilizing the Muslim enemies of Israeli expansionism has been a longtime Israeli strategy. This policy was enunciated in February 1982 by Israeli strategist Oded Yinon writing in the World Zionist Organization magazine Kivunim. The idea was to dissolve Israel’s enemies into powerless ministates. Yinon relished the Iraq-Iran War which he hoped would lead to civil war and fragmentation of Iraq, Israel’s most feared enemy. It did not. However, the Zionist neocons then lied us into the unnecessary invasion of Iraq in 2003 which did foment a civil war. Civil war and chaos was what the Israel Lobby neocons wanted in Iraq which is why there was no post-war planning. Similarly, the Israel Lobby has pushed for civil wars in Palestine, Afghanistan, Libya, etc.

  8. Uri Avnery on Hamas-Fatah | ikners.com said,

    May 2, 2011 at 06:26

    […] Israel Can Have a Peace Partner With a Unified Palestine, But Will Palestine Have One? (desertpeace.wordpress.com) […]