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Palestinian Government Is Expected to Resign Palestinian Government Is Expected to Resign
(35 minutes later)
JERUSALEM — President Mahmoud Abbas of the Palestinian Authority told leaders of his political party on Tuesday that the government he formed a year ago after signing a reconciliation pact with the rival Hamas movement would resign within 24 hours, according to a senior Palestinian official and local news reports.JERUSALEM — President Mahmoud Abbas of the Palestinian Authority told leaders of his political party on Tuesday that the government he formed a year ago after signing a reconciliation pact with the rival Hamas movement would resign within 24 hours, according to a senior Palestinian official and local news reports.
The so-called consensus government, headed by Prime Minister Rami Hamdallah, has never been seen as effective, and has been unable to assert itself in the Gaza Strip or meaningfully lead a reconstruction effort there after last summer’s devastating war between Hamas and Israel. It was unclear whether Mr. Hamdallah, a former university president who was first tapped two years ago to lead a previous government, would be replaced or reappointed with a reshuffled cabinet. The so-called consensus government, headed by Prime Minister Rami Hamdallah, has never been seen as effective, and it has been unable to assert itself in the Gaza Strip or meaningfully lead a reconstruction effort there after last summer’s devastating war between Hamas and Israel. It was unclear whether Mr. Hamdallah, a former university president who was first tapped two years ago to lead a previous government, would be replaced or reappointed with a reshuffled cabinet.
Mr. Abbas’s spokesman, Nabil Abu Rudeineh, did not answer his mobile phone or respond to a text message Tuesday night. But another senior official, speaking on the condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to do otherwise, said the president, who also heads the Fatah faction, announced the impending change at a meeting of its Revolutionary Council. Mr. Abbas’s spokesman, Nabil Abu Rudeineh, did not answer his mobile phone or respond to a text message Tuesday night. But another senior official, speaking on the condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to do otherwise, said the president, who also heads the Fatah faction, had announced the coming change at a meeting of the faction’s Revolutionary Council.
Ehab Bessaiso, a government spokesman, said in an interview that Mr. Hamdallah would meet with Mr. Abbas early Wednesday afternoon after months in which the prime minister had been asking to expand the slate of ministers and remove some from the roster. “There should be either a reshuffle or the government resigns and a new government is formed,” he added.Ehab Bessaiso, a government spokesman, said in an interview that Mr. Hamdallah would meet with Mr. Abbas early Wednesday afternoon after months in which the prime minister had been asking to expand the slate of ministers and remove some from the roster. “There should be either a reshuffle or the government resigns and a new government is formed,” he added.
The move is an acknowledgment that the April 2014 pact between the West Bank-based Palestine Liberation Organization and Hamas, the Islamist faction that dominates Gaza, has — like several before it — failed to bridge years of bitter schism.The move is an acknowledgment that the April 2014 pact between the West Bank-based Palestine Liberation Organization and Hamas, the Islamist faction that dominates Gaza, has — like several before it — failed to bridge years of bitter schism.
“There is no real reconciliation between Hamas and Fatah,” Diana Buttu, a lawyer who once worked for Mr. Abbas, said in an interview. ”The West Bank hasn’t really been pushing for the reconstruction of Gaza, and so as a result, it was inevitable that this government was going to fall apart.” “There is no real reconciliation between Hamas and Fatah,” Diana Buttu, a lawyer who once worked for Mr. Abbas, said in an interview. “The West Bank hasn’t really been pushing for the reconstruction of Gaza, and so as a result, it was inevitable that this government was going to fall apart.”
“To me this is the ultimate sign of weakness,” she added. “The biggest failure of the legacy of his 10 years is that this split has been allowed to fester for such a long, long, long period of time.” “To me, this is the ultimate sign of weakness,” she said. “The biggest failure of the legacy of his 10 years is that this split has been allowed to fester for such a long, long, long period of time.”
Hamas has ruled Gaza since 2007, when it routed Fatah officials in a brief but bloody civil war, after having won legislative elections the year before and joined a unity government that did not last. The consensus government was made up of ministers who were professionals and unaffiliated with any political faction. Though Hamas ministers walked away from their posts when that government was sworn in last June, the ministries’ employees were mostly hired by Hamas, and its security forces control Gaza. Hamas has ruled Gaza since 2007, when it routed Fatah officials in a brief but bloody civil war after winning legislative elections the year before and joined a unity government that did not last. The consensus government was made up of ministers who were professionals and unaffiliated with any political faction. Though Hamas ministers walked away from their posts when that government was sworn in last June, the ministries’ employees were mostly hired by Hamas, and its security forces control Gaza.
Ziad el-Zaza, the former Hamas deputy prime minister, was quoted by the Resalah website as saying that “the reconciliation government failed in realizing its commitments toward the Palestinian people.” A Hamas legislator, Salah Bardawil, said on another pro-Hamas site that the promised resignation “expresses how they are trying to run away” and “to delay reconciliation.” Ziad el-Zaza, the former Hamas deputy prime minister, was quoted by the Resalah website as saying, “The reconciliation government failed in realizing its commitments toward the Palestinian people.” A Hamas legislator, Salah Bardawil, said on another pro-Hamas site that the promised resignation “expresses how they are trying to run away” and “to delay reconciliation.”
The senior official who spoke anonymously noted that local news sites had been rife in recent days with unconfirmed reports of Hamas negotiating — without involvement by the Palestinian Authority — a long-term truce with Israel that would speed Gaza’s rehabilitation. The senior official who spoke anonymously noted that local news sites had been rife in recent days with unconfirmed reports that Hamas was negotiating, without involvement by the Palestinian Authority, a long-term truce with Israel that would speed Gaza’s rehabilitation.
“We all knew this government was weak, but why now? I think you have to link it to the Hamas-Israel talks,” he said, predicting that Mr. Abbas might replace the current ministers with leaders from the P.L.O. “If you have political ministers,” he added, “I think things will change.”“We all knew this government was weak, but why now? I think you have to link it to the Hamas-Israel talks,” he said, predicting that Mr. Abbas might replace the current ministers with leaders from the P.L.O. “If you have political ministers,” he added, “I think things will change.”