Abbas Gets International Backing but not Full Arab Support

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http://www.albawaba.com/en/countries/Palestine/214018

abbasThe U.S. strengthened its offer of support for President Mahmoud Abbas on Saturday, telling him an international aid embargo against the Palestinians would stop as soon as he forms a new government without Hamas, aides to Abbas said.

The United States and European Union have backed Abbas in light of the upheaval that has remade the Palestinian territories. Jacob Walles, the American consul-general in Jerusalem, said Saturday he expects Washington to lift the 15-month economic embargo. “I expect that we are going to be engaged with this government,” Walles said, according to the AP. “I expect that early next week. There will be some announcements in Washington, specifically about our assistance and about the financial regulations.”

Meanwhile, major power mediators for Middle East peace backed Saturday the “legitimacy” of Abbas’ decisions to sack the Hamas-led unity government and declare a state of emergency. Top diplomats of the so-called Quartet — the United States, European Union, United Nations and Russia — discussed the Palestinian crisis in a telephone call Friday after Hamas took control of the Gaza Strip.

“The Quartet expressed understanding and support for President Abbas’ decisions to dissolve the Cabinet and declare an emergency, given the grave circumstances,” the group said in a statement on their phone call released Saturday.

“The Quartet recognized the necessity and legitimacy of these decisions, taken under Palestinian law, and welcomed President Abbas’ stated intention to consult the Palestinian people at the appropriate time,” it said, according to AFP.

“The Quartet noted its continuing support for other legitimate Palestinian institutions,” said the statement, released separately by the US State Department and UN.

In their telephone conversation, the leading diplomats “shared their deep concern over the welfare and security of all Palestinians — especially those in Gaza, whose lives have been most seriously affected by the ongoing crisis,” the Quartet statement said.

“The Quartet expressed its support for efforts to meet the humanitarian needs of Palestinians and called for respect for the human rights of all those in Gaza and the safety and security of international workers,” it said.

The Quartet also called “for an urgent end to the violence, and the cooperation of all parties to ensure appropriate security and access conditions for the passage of humanitarian goods and personnel both within the Gaza Strip and at key crossing points.”

The telephone call included US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, European Union foreign policy chief Javier Solana, European External Relations Commissioner Benita Ferrero-Waldner, UN chief Ban Ki-Moon, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, and German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier.

Unlike the international support, Abbas was surprised not to get fukk backing from the Arab League. The Palestine Liberation Organisation (PLO) executive committee secretary-general Yasser Abed Rabbo said the PLO has rejected an Arab League decision to dispatch a commission to investigate Hamas’ seizure of power in Gaza. “We reject the Arab inquiry commission. This is a flagrant intervention in our affairs,” he said.

Arab foreign ministers decided during crisis talks Friday to establish a commission to investigate the deadly factional dispute. The commission, which includes key regional power players Egypt and Saudi Arabia, will “submit a report on the situation in less than a month”, a statement issued after their meeting said.

The Palestine Liberation Organisation (PLO) headed by Abbas rejected an offer for dialogue with Hamas Saturday, accusing the Islamist movement of “massacres”. Abed Rabbo issued a blunt rejection of the olive branch offered by Hamas’ exiled political chief, Khaled Meshaal. “I tell Meshaal that there can not be dialogue with those who commit massacres in Gaza,” he said.

Abbas Gets International Backing but not Full Arab Support

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