Palestine and Hamas head towards reconciliation
Palestine, Local, 4/14/1998

The Palestine Legislative Council decided on Tuesday to form a special committee to follow up the investigation into the mysterious death of Hamas military wing member Mohyiddin Sharif as efforts increased to bring both the Palestinian government and Hamas closer and avoid a complete showdown between them.

In a secret session held in Ramallah, the PLC listened to a report from Palestinian presidential secretary Tayyeb Abdul Rahim on the course of investigation into the Sharif killing and on the latest results of contacts with Hamas. Speaking to reporters after the meeting, Abdul Rahim reiterated the Palestinian government stand that it won't allow any room for any parallel authority in its areas. "Neither the PNA nor any other state on earth would allow another authority within its jurisdiction. We accept the right of Hamas and of any other political movement to practice is political activities but within the framework of the law and not against it." He called on Hamas to stop releasing all sorts of communiques and leaflets "which only deepen the rift and do not serve the purpose of professional investigation into the Sharif killing."

Meanwhile, the Islamic movement in Israel joined in with efforts to bridge the differences between the Palestinian government and the Islamic Resistance Movement, Hamas. Representatives of the movement met Palestinian President Yasser Arafat at his office in Ramallah and said after the meeting that their views were identical to those of President Arafat. Sheikh Ra'ed Salah, a delegation member, told reporters that the delegation called on President Arafat to release a number of Palestinians detained in the Palestinian prisons, especially those who have not been convicted by any courts. He added that both sides agreed on the urgency of limiting the differences between the Palestinian government and Hamas and expressed hopes that his efforts and those of his movement would help pave the way for a better understanding between the Palestinian government and Hamas.

Hamas has reportedly decided to stop its anti-Palestinian government campaign and the Palestinian government is apparently making more conciliatory statements calling for better relations Hamas.

One indication of the reconciliation is an emergency gathering in Gaza of representatives of all the Palestinians factions including Fatah, Hamas, the Islamic Jihad and the left-wing PFLP and DFLP. Dr. Haidar Abdul Shafi, head of the Palestinian peace talks delegation to Madrid, initiated the gathering, aimed at achieving "national reconciliation". "We must reach national unity despite our disagreements," said Abdul Shafi. "The continuation of the state of tension endangers the Palestinian society and will only serve Israel."

Another step, which could be interpreted as a change in attitude, was the release of Sheikh Abdullah Shami, a leading member of the Islamic Jihad in Gaza, after spending a few days in Palestinian custody. A spokesman for the movement, Sheikh Nafez Azzam, said the Islamic Jihad is not part of the current dispute between the Palestinian government and Hamas and would like to utilize all its efforts to end the present tension. "We in the Islamic Jihad do no like to add up to the confusion of the man on street. We believe our people have to do every effort to keep away from points that separate them while those points that unite them are much more important, such as the Jewish settlement construction in the Palestinian territories or the Israeli measures against Arab Jerusalem," he said.

Sheikh Shami was released in the early hours of Monday morning after being arrested by Palestinian police over the weekend. The Palestinian government accused Shami of delivering a sermon in a Gaza mosque in which he accused the Palestinian government of assassinating Sharif.

Upon his release, Shami said he was wrong when he accused the Palestinian government with involvement in the assassination of Sharif. The Palestinian government is still holding a number of Hamas members, including leaders such as Dr. Abdul Aziz Rantisi and Dr. Ibrahim Makadmeh.

Previous Stories:
  Troubling questions facing Hamas: militancy and diplomacy   (4/13/1998)
  Palestinian government more convinced Hamas killed Sharif   (4/13/1998)
  Palestinian children suffer psychological problems due to violence and torture   (4/10/1998)

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