Hamas formally took power Wednesday, with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas
swearing in 24 Cabinet ministers, including 14 who served time in Israeli
prisons.
Incoming Palestinian
Prime Minister Ismail Haniya, left, waves as he arrives with members of
his cabinet for the swearing in ceremony at the offices of Palestinian
leader Mahmud Abbas in Gaza City, Wednesday, March 29, 2006. Hamas
formally took power Wednesday, with the Palestinian president swearing in
its 24-member Cabinet, including 14 ministers who served time in Israeli
prisons. [AP] |
Soon after the ceremony Canada announced it was suspending aid to the
cash-strapped Palestinian Authority, and other nations were expected to follow
suit.
State Department spokesman Sean McCormack said the United States is looking
for ways to get humanitarian aid to the Palestinian people, but "we are not
going to provide funds to a terrorist organization. And we are not going to
provide U.S. funds to a Hamas-led government."
With Hamas now at the helm, the Palestinian government faces a crippling
international economic boycott, and may run into immediate difficulties next
week when March salaries are to be paid for some 140,000 government employees.
The Palestinian Authority gets a large part of its approximately $1.9 billion
annual budget from overseas sources. Without money from the Arab world, Europe
and the United States, a Hamas-led government would be nearly broke.
The newly installed Palestinian Information Minister, Youssef Rizka, called
the Canadian action "hasty" and said it "shows obvious bias."
"What we need from the Canadian government is that it ask the Israeli
authorities to admit that they are occupying Palestinian land," he told The
Associated Press.
Canadian Foreign Affairs Minister Peter MacKay said his government had no
choice but to suspend assistance and decline any contact with the new Hamas
Cabinet.
"The stated platform of this government has not addressed the concerns raised
by Canada and others concerning nonviolence, the recognition of Israel and
acceptance of previous agreements and obligations, including the roadmap for
peace," MacKay said.
"As a result, Canada will have no contact with the members of the Hamas
Cabinet and is suspending assistance to the Palestinian Authority."
However, Ottawa emphasized it would continue giving humanitarian aid to the
Palestinian people through U.N. and nongovernment organizations.
Wednesday's swearing-in ceremony came just a day after Israel's election and
drew clear lines of confrontation. Hamas says it will not soften its violent
platform and Israel's victorious Kadima Party says if that is the case, Israel
will set the borders of a Palestinian state itself, without negotiations, and
keep large areas of the West Bank.
Arab leaders, wrapping up an annual summit in the Sudanese capital, Khartoum,
rejected any Israeli move to unilaterally draw its borders with a West Bank
withdrawal. In a final statement, they renewed a peace offer for Israel — a 2002
initiative that Israel has rejected, promising a peace with Arab states in
return for a withdrawal from all occupied Arab lands.
Israeli officials said it is very unlikely acting Prime Minister Ehud Olmert
will create a "Hamas bypass" and negotiate directly with the moderate Abbas as
long as Hamas refuses to change. Abbas, leader of the defeated Fatah Party, was
elected separately and wields considerable power.
Israel suspended tens of millions of dollars in monthly tax transfers to the
Palestinian Authority after the Hamas victory, and Israeli Foreign Ministry
spokesman Mark Regev said the Israeli Cabinet would decide on additional
sanctions next week.
"With Hamas taking over now, you can't have business as usual," Regev said.
The Cabinet ministers took their oath in two ceremonies, held simultaneously
in the West Bank and Gaza because Israel bans the travel of Hamas leaders
between the two territories. The two locales were hooked up by video conference.
Abbas presided over the 10-minute ceremony in Gaza City, looking glum, then
left without speaking.
The first to be sworn in was Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh, who walked along
a red carpet, then placed his hand on a copy of the Muslim holy book, the Quran,
laid out on a low table. He pledged to be "loyal to the homeland and its sacred
places."
Haniyeh later told a news conference his government would cooperate with
Abbas. He reiterated Hamas won't negotiate with Israel under the current terms,
but appeared to be softening his message. Haniyeh said if Abbas wants to go
ahead with peace talks, "it's his prerogative and we have no problem with that."
Abbas then held a separate news conference and said the new government "knows
what is required" of it, including dealing with Israel. Abbas reiterated that
many differences remain between him and Hamas, and that both sides should try to
bridge them.
In all, the new Cabinet has 24 ministers, including Haniyeh. Ten are from
Gaza and 14 are from the West Bank. Nine have engineering degrees and the rest
are university graduates in other fields. Nineteen are Hamas activists and five
are independents. One is a woman and one a Coptic Christian.
Fourteen spent time in Israeli prisons, serving terms ranging from six months
to six years, most for membership in Hamas or fundraising activities. Haniyeh
was arrested by Israel in 1989, and served three years for allegedly heading a
Hamas unit that hunted down suspected informers for Israel.
Hamas claims its military and political wings are separate, while Israel
maintains Hamas politicians have had direct knowledge of the group's violent
attacks that have killed hundreds of Israelis over the years.
The militants took office just a day after Olmert, head of the centrist
Kadima Party, emerged as the victor in Israel's parliament election. It will
probably take several weeks for Olmert to form a ruling coalition. He has said
he would only invite parties that accept his West Bank plan.
Olmert has said he would take unilateral action if the Palestinians don't
indicate a readiness for compromise in a reasonable period of time. Olmert wants
to keep large West Bank settlement blocs, but dismantle several dozen smaller
settlements with about 70,000 residents.