Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas convened the heads of Palestinian factions Saturday evening in a dialogue committee between the organizations.
The PA chairman was seeking to take advantage of contacts between the factions on the formulation of a united political stance, based on the adoption of the document of understanding written by Palestinian prisoners, calling for a Palestinian state to be established alongside Israel.
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2,500-member security unit takes up positions in West Bank town of Jenin in show of force against Hamas government; |
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During the meeting, that took place in Abbas' office in Ramallah, the PA chairman gave the factions two days to accelerate the talks on the "prisoners' document" before announcing a national referendum.
The ultimatum set by Abbas for Hamas
is set to run out Sunday evening, but the Palestinians are in disagreement over the deadline's expiration date. According to some of the factions, the counting only began the day after Abbas announced the ultimatum.
Palestinian sources have told Ynet before the meeting that the factions may request an extension from Abbas in order to reach agreements and avoid a national referendum. According to the same sources, Palestinian organization fear that a national referendum will increase the tension and violence among Palestinian groups.
Polls back Abbas
Abbas believes that the results of a national referendum on a Palestinian state on the 1967 borders are clear. According to the polls, around 80 percent of the Palestinian public supports the prisoners' initiative calling for such a state.
Palestinian government spokesman Dr. Razi Hamad said that a breakthrough would not be expected in the coming period, and added that even if the Palestinians government adopts the prisoner's documents, "we'll be told it is not enough, and the same is true if we adopt the Arab peace initiative."
He said he hoped that contacts would continue in the coming period without pressures and threats.
Abbas' associates are hoping for a surprising and unexpected breakthrough, but do not believe this will take place. The aides added that Palestinians must prepare for a referendum in the coming weeks.
Another sign of the tensions between Fatah and the Hamas-led government was seen over the weekend following the deployment of a special Fatah force in the West Bank city of Jenin. After the deployment, Fatah members called to apply the Jenin model on other West Bank cities so that it would constitute a counterweight to the special force established by Hamas in the Gaza Strip.
Palestinian government ministers and senior Hamas officials rushed to define the new force as illegal.
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