In a wide-ranging interview with The Associated Press, Palestinian Prime
Minister Ismail Haniyeh of Hamas declined to recognize Israel, appealed for
understanding from the United States and insisted that his Cabinet, not
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, will have control over security forces.
Palestinian Prime
Minister Ismail Haniyeh speaks during an interview with the Associated
Press at his office in Gaza City, Thursday, April 6, 2006. The new Hamas
prime minister said Thursday in an interview with the Associated Press
that his government will take control of the Palestinian security forces
and that Palestinian President is free to negotiate with Israel on his
own. Haniyeh also rejected attempts by the international community to
wrest authority from his government by giving more responsibilty to Abbas.
[AP] |
But as Haniyeh was talking Thursday in his Gaza City office, Abbas took his
latest step to clip his wings, naming a longtime Fatah ally to supervise the
security forces.
Abbas' actions appeared aimed at convincing the international community that
he, not Hamas, is in charge. Western donors have threatened to cut off
desperately needed aid if Hamas does not renounce violence and recognize
Israel's right to exist, conditions the group has rejected.
Abbas and Haniyeh were to meet in Gaza on Friday night.
Sitting beneath a picture of Abbas and the late Palestinian leader Yasser
Arafat, Haniyeh said he rejected any attempts to undercut Hamas, which won Jan.
25 parliamentary elections. His Cabinet was sworn in last week.
"There are attempts to create parallel frameworks to some ministries in the
Palestinian government," Haniyeh said in the interview with the AP at his Gaza
City headquarters. "But I don't think (Abbas) can keep up this pressure and take
away power from this government."
Haniyeh said Abbas had assured him the security forces would remain under the
control of the Hamas-led Cabinet, which, he said, came to power not "on the back
of a tank" but in "transparent and fair elections."
But hours later, Abbas appointed a longtime ally, Rashid Abu Shbak, to head
the three security services that fall under new Interior Minister Said Siyam, in
addition to agencies already under the president's aegis. Though Siyam would
technically be Abu Shbak's boss, any dispute between the two would be resolved
in the Abbas-headed National Security Council.
Abu Shbak said he was authorized to hire and fire officers in the three
security branches. "Any recruitment of directors or deputy directors for any of
the three services will be made through me," he said. His appointment reduced
Hamas' authority over the security apparatus to cutting checks for its 58,000
officers.
Abbas has said he wants to resume peace talks with Israel, which has shunned
the Hamas government, and Haniyeh said he would not stand in the way of such
efforts.
Abbas "can move on political fronts and negotiate with whomever he wants.
What is important is what will be offered to the Palestinian people," Haniyeh
said.
When asked if he was a pragmatic man and would recognize Israel, he switched
to English: "That is a big question."
He said there was no change in Hamas' refusal to recognize Israel, renounce
violence and respect all past accords signed by the Palestinian Authority — the
three conditions Israel and the West have imposed for dealing with Hamas, which
is listed as a terror group by the U.S. and European Union.
At the same time, he struck a conciliatory tone when speaking about the
United States, saying, "we don't want feelings of animosity to remain in the
region, not toward the U.S. administration and not toward the West."
He also denied reports that al-Qaida militants had infiltrated Palestinian
territories.
Also Thursday, the Palestine Liberation Organization, which Abbas heads,
ordered the Hamas-led Foreign Ministry to coordinate with it before making major
pronouncements on diplomatic policy. The PLO is technically in charge of the
Palestinians' foreign affairs.
Abbas is likely to continue amassing power to end Western sanctions, said
Khalil Shahin, a political analyst with the Palestinian Al-Ayyam newspaper.
"I predict that he will keep stripping Hamas of more of its authorities,
particularly on the financial ministries and other bodies responsible for
infrastructure and the security," he said. "(Abbas) is trying with these
measures to spare the Palestinian people more suffering and more
sanctions."