[ 21/06/2011 – 01:49 PM ]

KUWAIT, (PIC)– Moussa Abu Marzouk, deputy head of the Hamas political bureau, said current talks between Fatah and his party are aimed at creating a government that serves the people and Palestinian objectives, not one that satisfies Israel.
The senior Hamas official said Israel “will never accept a harmony government, even if we placed in it those who it has previously accepted; and that’s only because we in Hamas and Fatah have agreed upon it. So we must get past the issue and focus on a government that serves the people and Palestinian objectives and seek acceptance with the world community, away from the [Israel’s] satisfaction and dissatisfaction.”
Shedding light on what has been envisioned for an upcoming government, Abu Marzouk went on to say: “It will be remote from the political program. There is another committee tasked with preparing this program. The next prime minister has no role in developing or executing the political program, and, likewise, the cabinet has a specific task in the agreement.”
Forming a harmony government marks “the end of the split,” Abu Marzouk said, “and the beginning of a new stage characterized by the unity and cohesion of our people enabling them to achieve their objectives.”
Negotiations with Israel
During the interview with Kuwait’s Al-Rai, Abu Marzouk reiterated that Hamas would not go into peace talks with Israel.
“From the beginning, we have been against talks and negotiations that the PLO initiated with Israel.”
“We believe that the issue itself is not political wrangle but a Palestinian interest. It is impossible to conduct negotiations between an occupier and a people under occupation as long as the balance power is like it is. It is impossible to conduct talks when your enemy doesn’t recognize you and doesn’t restore the rights it has taken away from you. When that takes place, negotiations [based on] a mechanism would be possible. Without that, it would be considered a kind of surrender or recognition of defeat before that actually occurs on the ground.”
Abu Marzouk went on to explain Hamas’s objection to Salam Fayyad heading the interim government ahead of elections due for September.
“There are two reservations about Salam Fayyad. Firstly, there was a government in the West Bank and a government in the Gaza Strip. Keeping Ismail Haneyya, for example, or Salam Fayyad at the head of the next government would not be correct and does not give the impression that there was any change. We also agreed that we do not want a [a prime minister] with gravitation [to one of the parties]”.
Political prisoners
Hamas and Fatah which ruled split Palestinian territories struck a deal early May to form a unity government. But continued persecution of Hamas supporters in the West Bank, which Fatah controls, has had an adverse effect on the reconciliation deal, which stipulated the release of all political prisoners from both sides.
Abu Marzouk confirmed that the continued West Bank arrests have been disturbing reconciliation, “as it relates to Palestinian people; and it is a shame that a Palestinian would arrest his Palestinian brother because of an ideological difference.”
“The detainees issue, which includes the closure of associations and institutions and [biased policies concerning] passports and those restricted from travel, has been put to an end; and we have agreed on certain arrangements. A list of names of those detained in the West Bank and also those detained in the Gaza Strip has been provided,” he said.
“There are pledges and follow-up committees in the West Bank and Gaza Strip; and the Egyptians are playing a role in the issue in order to finalize it.”

June 21, 2011 
































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