Washington – U.S. Says ‘Disappointed’ By Palestinian Unity Deal

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    Palestinian young women who support the mainstream Fatah organization hold a rally during the party's election campaign at the university of the West Bank city of Hebron, 23 April 2014. Palestinians from Fatah and the Hamas Islamic organization have been holding talks in the Gaza Strip amid reports that a unity government could be formed, as the US-brokered peace talks between the Palestinians and Israeli appear to be collapsing.  EPA/ABED AL HASHLAMOUNWashington – The United States said on Wednesday it was disappointed by a unity pact agreed between the Gaza-based Islamist group Hamas and President Mahmoud Abbas’ Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) and said it could seriously complicate peace efforts.

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    “The timing was troubling and we were certainly disappointed in the announcement,” State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki told a regular news briefing.

    “This could seriously complicate our efforts. Not just our efforts but the efforts of the parties to extend their negotiations.”

    Psaki said U.S. officials had expressed their concerns to the Palestinians.

    “It’s hard to see how Israel can be expected to negotiate with a government that does not believe in its right to exist,” she said.

    The Palestinian move, coming after a long line of failed efforts to reconcile after seven years of internal bickering, envisions a unity government within five weeks and national elections six months later.

    Israel said after the announcement that Abbas had chosen Hamas over peace, and canceled a session of U.S.-brokered talks with the Palestinians that had been scheduled for Wednesday night in Jerusalem.

    Israeli Channel 2 TV said Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu would convene an emergency session of his security cabinet on Thursday to discuss his response.

    Along with the United States and the European Union, Israel views Hamas as a terrorist organization, and says Abbas’ efforts to unify with the group show he is not serious about extending the troubled negotiations.

    The talks, aimed at ending its decades-old conflict with the Palestinians and establishing a Palestinian state in the West Bank and Gaza, are scheduled to end on April 29.


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    9 years ago

    By this very agreement, Abbas is adopting an official state of war with Israel, in which he denies Israel’s right to exist. From this point onward, it would make sense that any single attempt at harming Israel, whether by threat, attempt of terror, or rockets (etc.) will be met with whatever Israel deems as an appropriate military response, from targeted strikes to all out invasion. I know this sounds like war mongering, but the world was duped until this point into believing that Abbas was a “partner in peace”. It is now official that this is not the case (nor was it ever). All Palestinian entities and groups must never receive another dime of aid, and they must all be demilitarized. Oh, the prisoner release – hang them and send the bodies back.

    Tziony
    Tziony
    9 years ago

    Don’t worry. Israel will of course will still be blamed for the death of the so-called peace process. Just stay tuned for the next Thomas Friedman op-ed in the NY Times. I’m sure he will be doing just that.

    SandmanNY
    SandmanNY
    9 years ago

    These people are very consistent – and they never miss an opportunity to miss an opportunity – and they show their true colors: Not peace with Israel, rather every piece of Israel. That’s the reality. The sooner we make peace with those simple facts, the sooner we can get moving with truth. The State Dept wants to push this deal down Jewish throats so o’bummer can win another prize. Hineh lo yanum v’lo yishan . . .