Haniyeh rejects Abbas referendum; Hamas member killed
Palestine-Israel, Politics, 6/5/2006

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas said that holding a referendum on the "National Reconciliation Document," proposed by the Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails, is a means rather than a target.

During a joint press conference on Monday, Abbas asserted that the referendum would be held just if the dialogue failed. He called on all Palestinian factions to adopt the document of the prisoners, hoping that the dialogue will succeed.

Palestinian Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh on Sunday said a plan by President Mahmoud Abbas to hold a referendum on a plan that implicitly recognizes Israel is illegal.

The statement was the strongest sign yet that Hamas will not give in to Abbas' ultimatum to accept the concept of a two-state solution or go to national referendum on the issue. Abbas has given Hamas until Tuesday to decide.

Nora Boustany 's column reporting on Washington's diplomatic community appears each Wednesday and Friday in The Post.

"The local law does not permit holding referendums on the Palestinian law," Haniyeh told reporters.

The Washington Post reported that Palestinian prime minister Ismail Haniyeh yesterday said the plan by President Abbas to hold a referendum would be illegal. The referendum is said to implicitly recognize Israel which Hamas has rejected to do. The report quoted Haniyeh saying that he would continue talks with Abbas, but "The local basic law and the advice which we got from experts in international law say that referendums are not permitted on the Palestinian land."

The two groups Fatah and Hamas have divergent views, and have been involved in infighting. An Israeli report said today that "a large bomb exploded next to the house of a senior member of the Hamas military wing in the Jebalya refugee camp on Monday, killing him and wounding several of his relatives. The dead man was identified as Muhammed Sari. Among the wounded was an 8-year-old boy," adding that the Israeli military was not involved in the incident. The report added "five people were killed in Hamas-Fatah clashes in the Gaza Strip. Three passersby were killed in the crossfire of a gun battle between armed Hamas and Fatah members."

Previous Stories:
  Palestinian farmer struggle to work their land   (6/2/2006)
  Olmert: Israeli West Bank withdrawal in one phase   (6/2/2006)
  US wants parallel Palestinian government: former MI6 officer   (6/2/2006)

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