WEST BANK/ GAZA: Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas calls for Palestinian unity at Fatah rally.

Record ID: 1538815

  • Title: WEST BANK/ GAZA: Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas calls for Palestinian unity at Fatah rally.
  • Date: 11th January 2007
  • Summary: SECURITY GUARDS OUTSIDE OF PALESTINIAN LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL BUILDING
  • Embargoed: 26th January 2007 11:44
  • Keywords:
  • Topics: Domestic Politics
  • Reuters ID: LVAAVXRJYYMRY893AMREH8HIGLDI
  • Aspect Ratio: 4:3
  • Story Text: Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas calls for Palestinian unity at Fatah rally, while Hamas official Fawzi Barhom says he hopes Abbas returns to the negotiating table and cuts, "secret channels between him and the occupation." Thousands of supporters of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas's Fatah faction rallied in the occupied West Bank on Thursday (January 11), a show of strength in a violent rivalry with the governing Hamas group.
    Marking the 42nd anniversary of Fatah, thousands of supporters attended the rally, some bused into Ramallah at the faction's expense.
    Abbas said that despite turmoil in the Palestinian territories, it was important for the Palestinian people not to lose contact with countries across the globe.
    "We will not be punished for our democracy, but democrats (those who practice democracy) should understand how they can deal with the world and how to be accepted by the world. This case is the core of our dialogue we do not live in an island that is isolated from the rest of the world", he said.
    Speaking to the crowd in forceful but conciliatory tones, Abbas appealed for an end to violence between Fatah and Hamas, "The priority for me is to preserve national unity and to stop and make prohibited the internal fighting, Palestinian blood is sacred and a redline and everyone who commits this (kill fellow Palestinians) is a criminal."
    Supporters of Fatah and Abbas said the speech displayed the President's leadership ability
    "Abu Mazen's speech shows that he is a leader of the Palestinian people and his words were unifying words," one man said after the rally.
    Another man spoke of the role Fatah has played for the Palestinian people over the years.
    "A struggling people built their hopes on this foundation (Fatah), which was founded on the basis of sacrifice and liberating Palestine."
    But in Gaza, where President Abbas's security forces have sometimes battled Hamas security forces on the streets, Fawzi Barhom, a Hamas official, said the speech served more of a public relations role than a reflection of new policy.
    "This speech is just in order to reform the bad reputation that they are letting to Fatah during the Dahlan speech here in Gaza when he said that we refused to speak about political, but we want to speak about what to have everything against Hamas leaders and Hamas situation and how to destroy the Palestinian government. We hope that Abu Mazen maybe decided to return back again to negotiation and dialogue in order to support relations between him and Prime Minister Haniyeh, and between all Palestinians, but not to support relations and secret channels between him and the occupation," Barhom said.
    A smaller Fatah rally was held in Gaza City outside of the building of the Palestinian Legislative Council. A Fatah gathering of tens of thousands was held on Sunday in Gaza, a Hamas stronghold.
    Fatah and Hamas, which defeated the long-dominant faction in an election a year ago, have been locked in a bloody power struggle that some Palestinians fear could spark civil war.
    The internal fighting has worsened since Abbas called last month for early elections to break a political deadlock with Hamas.
    Western governments have supported Abbas. Hamas is considered by the United States and Israel as a terrorist group.
    The Bush administration will provide $86 million to strengthen security forces loyal to Abbas, according to documents seen by Reuters on Friday.
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