Rifts see boycotts of Abbas meeting
UNITY FIRST: HAMAS CITE LACK OF REPRESENTIVITY
Three factions in PLO also critical.
Apowerful but rarely convened assembly that calls itself the Palestinian “Supreme Authority” met for the first time in 22 years on Monday, with boycotts and rifts suggesting it will struggle to achieve its stated goal of unity.
In an opening address to the Palestinian National Council (PNC), President Mahmoud Abbas criticised US President Donald Trump’s decisions last year to recognise Jerusalem as Israel’s capital, and to move the US embassy to the city.
Abbas told the de facto parliament of the Palestine Liberation Organisation that the US stance favouring Israel might require tough decisions in the near future. “If America wants to offer something, let them say they support the two-state solution with east Jerusalem as the capital of Palestine and that it [US] is no longer a sole mediator,” he said.
US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo suggested on Monday he was open to a two-state solution, saying a “two-party solution” was likely.
Abbas told the 600 PNC members present that the council, which is powerful but little-known outside Palestinian political circles, was “very important because it protects the Palestinian dream”.
Islamist groups boycotted the meeting and Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh dismissed it as a “clapping party” for Abbas. “Is it logical that the PLO be the sole representative of the Palestinian people when it does not include Hamas and Islamic Jihad?” he asked.
Hamas defeated Abbas’ western-backed Fatah in parliamentary elections in 2006 and has been locked in rivalry with it since. Attempts at reconciliation have faltered over power sharing. In his speech, Abbas restated his demand that Hamas relinquish full control of Gaza to his western-based Palestinian Authority, whose power base is in the West Bank.
But not all the criticism came from outsiders. Three factions within the umbrella PLO said they would boycott the 700-member assembly, including the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, the second largest group. It wanted the meeting to be postponed to allow more time for reconciliation efforts between Fatah and Hamas, and to ensure broader participation. – Reuters