While Fatah and Hamas met yesterday, Monday February 6th, to entrust Mahmoud Abbas with the leadership of a unified Palestinian government, Msgr Fouad Twal recalls that he hopes for peace for all—as much between the Palestinian Authority and Israel as among Palestinians themselves.
Is the “Doha Declaration” a step towards Palestinian reconciliation? In any case, it is a step within a framework of negotiations with this goal that began last Sunday in Doha between Mahmoud Abbas, president of the Palestinian Authority and head of Fatah, and Khaled Mechaal, head of Hamas. The two Palestinian parties have had tenuous relations since 2007 with Hamas’s takeover of the Gaza Strip. The accord that was signed yesterday will reinforce the 2011 “reconciliation accord” that had been all but quashed.
The meeting in Doha took place in the presence of the emir of Qatar, Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani, following the initiative of King Abdullah of Jordan.
According to this agreement (which is scheduled to be ratified in Cairo on February 18th), the President of the Palestinian Authority Mahmoud Abbas will direct a transitional unity government for the West Bank and Gaza. The two parties have agreed to “pursue the process of reconstructing the Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO),” in order to integrate Hamas and Islamic Jihad within this authority that will represent all Palestinians. This government will also be charged with “supervising the reconstruction of Gaza” and of “conducting the elections” (tentatively set for May 4th 2012).
The Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem has commented that he sees “no obstacle to anything that all Palestinians begin to help Mahmoud Abbas to implement these two projects.” Moreover, the Patriarch recognizes Mahmoud Abbas as “a moderate, cooperative, and open man.”
With this accord, Mahmoud Abbas will henceforth take on the dual role of President and Prime Minister of the Palestinian Authority, assuming the responsibilities of the incumbent Prime Minister, Salam Fayyad—who has enjoyed good relations with western nations. Patriarch Fouad Twal expressed his regret that this move does not acknowledge “the great work successfully carried out by Salam Fayad, who has, with prudence and care, set up infrastructure for a future Palestinian State.”
The Way of Peace
Yesterday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu condemned the head of the Palestinian Authority for having signed a governmental accord with Hamas. “If Abou Mazen (Mahmoud Abbas: Editor's note ) enacts what was signed in Doha, he forfeits the way of peace in order to align himself with Hamas,” declared Mr. Netanyahu, in a communiqué from the executive office. He also ventured that “it is either peace with Hamas or peace with Israel; you cannot have it both ways.” “Precisely not,” responded Patriarch Fouad Twal, who disagreed with “this reaction.” For him, “this effective reconciliation is a response to the aspirations of Palestinians for unity, and in that we must rejoice.” To further insist on his hope for a global peace: “we want pace for all, a good agreement with Israel and among brother Palestinians, in all currents of political thought. Who does not experience, even in one’s own family, diverging or opposing points of view?” The Patriarch also noted in passing the “abnormal reciprocity” between the two camps whereby “there are those who do not want to recognize the State of Israel, and others who do not want to recognize the State of Palestine.”
Msgr Fouad Twal “hopes [that this reconciliation might] contribute to maintaining negotiations which have never directly or indirectly stopped. Thus the liberation of Shalit and more than 1000 Palestinians was foreseen. ‘Dialogue’ is made for men who do not understand. There is nothing to gain by wanting to stop it. We must combat the spirit of division. It is never the best way to operate when outlining a way to peace.” The Patriarch also called for prayer “with our institutions and our Churches; we pray for a final peace and justice here in the Holy Land and for the countries which surround it. All these changes in the Arab world must not be ignored. We are deeply troubled by the Syrian crisis.” He “understands” the fears of religious pastors in Syria who have been called to prudence, and are also witnesses to the harmful changes in Iraq. As neighbors, Syria and Jordan have had to contend with refugees, and today both Syrian and Iraqui refugees are knocking on Jordan’s door.
Christophe Lafontaine
Source: http://www.lpj.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1836%3Al-nous-voulons-la-paix-avec-et-pour-tout-le-monde-r-rappelle-le-patriarche-twal&catid=1%3Aactualite-locale&Itemid=124&lang=en
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