OSLO (PIC)– The Norwegian government has immediately recognized the PA unity government under premier Ismail Haneyya that gained confidence from the PLC Saturday and announced it was restoring full ties with the Palestinians.
Norwegian foreign minister Jonas Gahr Støre described the Hamas-Fatah coalition as a “historic event” affirming that the alternative of that unity is continued violence in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank.
However Støre called on the PA unity government to “respect” the Quartet’s three conditions namely: recognizing the Hebrew state rejecting violence (legitimate resistance) and recognizing previous deals signed between Israel and the PLO.
He on the other hand urged the Israeli occupation government to immediately release Palestinian tax revenue money which it had seized over the past year. The money is estimated at nearly one billion dollars.
The Palestinians badly needs that money as they experience the worst form of economic embargo that was imposed by the USA Israel and their allies to punish them for electing Hamas to rule them in PA legislative elections which was described as “the most democratic elections ever witnessed in the Arab world”.
More than a month ago Israeli premier Ehud Olmert agreed to release 100 million dollars of those funds to the office of the PA chief Mahmoud Abbas on condition that the money won’t be used in paying salaries of the cash-strapped PA employees.
Throughout the past year the USA and Israel spearheaded more than one attempt to overthrow the Hamas-led government; yet all those attempts failed in budging Hamas from its stands.
Another strong push forward was given to the PA unity by the influential OIC that comprises 57 Muslim countries as it declared recognition of the PA unity government urging the entire world countries to favorably deal with it.
Secretary-general of the OIC Ekmel Al-Dein Ihasan Oglo was obviously delighted with the event as he witnessed the swearing-in ceremony of the PA unity government in Gaza city urging all Muslim countries to support the Palestinian cause which is according to him the central issue of the Muslim Ummah.
He also called on the international community to rescind the unjust economic siege on the Palestinians and to give the PA unity government the chance to prove itself.
“There is no more justification for the economic embargo on the Palestinian people at all” affirmed Oglo in press statement after the oath-taking ceremony.
All members of the PA unity government including premier Haneyya and vice-premier Azzam Al-Ahmad among other ministers were sworn-in Saturday right after the government won a confidence vote at the PA legislature.
Eighty three members of the PLC voted favorably three members including second-deputy speaker Hassan Khuraisha and the two PFLP representatives MPs Khaleda Jarrar and Jamil Majdalawi objected and none has abstained. The 41 jailed MPs blessed the government and declared their full support to it.
