Abbas with Saudi king in Mecca
Photo: Reuters
Haniyeh and Mashaal meet in Mecca
Photo: AFP
Israel snubs Mecca deal
In first official statement, officials in Jerusalem say Hamas-Fatah deal fails to meet Quartet preconditions and ‘is not what Israel expected’. Israel does not outright reject the agreement and will continue to monitor developments, officials add
Israeli officials
in Jerusalem on Friday snubbed the unity government deal
reached between Hamas and Fatah in Mecca, saying it failed to meet the preconditions set by the Quartet.
Following days of negotiations hosted in Mecca in Saudi Arabia, Hamas and Fatah representatives signed a deal dividing cabinet portfolios and diplomatic positions between the two parties. The deal noted that both sides must uphold previous deals signed by the PLO, but omitted any direct mention of Israel.
The officials stressed, however, that they also did not reject the Palestinian agreement outright.
Preconditions
Attila Somfalvi
First reactions to Palestinian unity agreement include Israeli government spokeswoman demanding Palestinians accept international conditions, Lieberman calling for Israeli unity gov't, gunshots of joy in Gaza
“This isn’t what we expected,” Jerusalem officials commented. “The international community – the Quartet – clearly established that any Palestinian government must fully adopt the following three preconditions: Recognize Israel’s right to exist, halt terror activities, and implement all previous agreements reached, including the Road Map.”
“Even though the future Palestinian government has not yet established its Basic Principles, the appointment letter issued by (Palestinian President) Mahmoud Abbas makes it clear that the conditions were not upheld,” officials added.
“Israel stresses that terror activity against it is continuing, and Gilad Shalit has not yet been released. We will continue to examine developments in light of the Quartet’s clear conditions. Israel expects the international community to continue to show determination and stand behind its principles to bring about their full implementation,” they declared.
However, they stressed that Israel did not fully reject the agreements either. “We will continue to monitor developments,” they said.
Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni, currently visiting Germany, responded to the Palestinian deal, saying, “Hamas does not represent the interests of the Palestinian people.”
