Abbas won't meet with Mashaal in Damascus
Palestinian, Syrian leaders discuss conflict between Palestinian factions, negotiations with Israel, indirect Israel-Syria talks. Abbas aides say no chance of meeting with Hamas politburo chief Mashaal
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas met Sunday afternoon with Syrian President Bashar Assad in Damascus. The two leaders discussed the conflict between the Palestinian factions, the negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians and the indirect talks between Israel and Syria.
But despite earlier reports of a possible meeting between Abbas and Hamas politburo chief Khaled Mashaal, Palestinian officials said Abbas's two-day visit would not include a such a summit.
Senior Abbas aide Yasser Abed Rabbo told Reuters, "President Abbas will not meet Mashaal in Damascus or anywhere else before Hamas commits to end its coup in Gaza."
The meeting was attended by Syrian Vice President Farouk al-Shara, Foreign Minister Walid Moallem, members of the PLO's Executive Committee and senior Palestinian Authority officials.
Syrian media reported that the meeting would be followed by a face-to-face meeting between Assad and Abbas. The Palestinian president's spokesman, Nabil Abu Rudaina, said that Abbas had briefed Assad on the recent developments in the peace process with Israel and that the two were in agreement on many of the issues raised.
The London-based al-Hayat newspaper reported earlier Sunday that Damascus has been working to orchestrate a meeting between Abbas and Mashaal. According to the report, the meeting was aimed at "laying the foundations for a fundamental dialogue" between the rival Palestinian factions.
On Thursday, Assad met with a Hamas delegation headed by Mashaal to discuss the movement's stance in regards to a dialogue with Fatah.
One of the proposals raised during the meeting was that the Syrians would organize a meeting between Abbas and representatives of all the Palestinian factions, including Hamas.
The newspaper reported that the Syrian side had stressed that "the meeting between Abu Mazen (Abbas) and Mashaal should be based on the start of a fundamental dialogue, rather than settling for a ceremonial meeting, and that the Syrian side is interested in reaching an agreement similar to the Doha deal struck between the factions in Lebanon."
Sources in Damascus have reported that the Hamas politburo chief presented Syrian officials with a document including his movement's principles for the start of a dialogue with Fatah. Mashaal said these were his organization's principles for a dialogue with Abbas.
According to the report, the document includes the following principles: A fundamental and political unification between the West Bank and Gaza, including one rule and one government; honoring the democratic election and the principle of the democratic game and fulfilling them (referring to Hamas' victory in the recent Palestinian Authority elections); honoring the Palestinian law and complying with it; rebuilding the Palestinian security organizations based on national and professional foundations, without the involvement of organizational quotas (referring to the admission of Hamas members into the PA's security organizations).
The document also includes principles of fulfilling the Mecca and Cairo agreements, "continuing to fight the occupation", reorganizing the PLO and operating it based on free elections and the participation of all Palestinian factions in the territories and abroad – in other words, admitting Hamas into the PLO.
Reuters contributed to this report
