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National Unity Gov’t formation depends on Quartet’s reply- Abbas | ASHARQ AL-AWSAT English Archive 2005 -2017
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Gaza, Asharq Al-Awsat- sources have revealed to Asharq Al-Awsat that during a meeting in Cairo last week, Palestinian President Mahmud Abbas admitted to the Palestinian factions secretaries general that the formation of the national accord government depends on the responses received from the Quartet about the future of the negotiations with Israel.

The Informed Palestinian sources added that President Abbas explained to the secretaries general that despite his complete conviction that the negotiations have no future under the current Israeli Government, he does not want to give Israel any justification to attack him by using the formation of the national accord government. President Abbas stressed that he aims to obtain an admission by the Quartet of the responsibility of the Benjamin Netanyahu Government for the impasse reached by the negotiations.

According to the sources, the Palestinian President also pointed out that he is afraid that any hasty step toward the formation of a new Palestinian Government under this climate might lead to a US resolution, and even a European one, to put the Palestinian Authority under siege, and punish it by stopping aid offered to it. The sources stress that this stance explains the internal consensus to postpone the discussion of the issue of forming the upcoming Palestinian Government until after 26 January 2012, which is the date on which the Palestinian side is supposed to receive clear replies from the Quartet to the proposals presented by the Palestinian Authority about the borders and security, as the Authority requested.

The Palestinian sources qualify this by saying that if the Quartet does not propose a stance compatible with the Palestinian expectations, this will not mean that President Abbas will risk agreeing to the formation of a national accord government, because of the fear that this will be followed by international sanctions.

The sources report that President Abbas’s stance has been understood by the factions’ secretaries general, who in exchange have proposed that it is necessary to work to mobilize Arab support that would contribute to the reduction of the impact of any international reaction to the implementation of the national reconciliation agreement.

The sources stress that even the representatives of the factions, who proposed the idea of acting at the Arab level, understand that most of the Arab regimes currently are preoccupied with putting their domestic cards in order, and will not be enthusiastic about dedicating themselves to become preoccupied with the Palestinian affairs.

The sources predict that the date of the legislative, the presidential, and the National Council elections will be postponed until after May 2012, on the basis that conducting elections requires first of all the presence of a national accord government that works to prepare the climate for organizing these elections.