OCCUPIED JERUSALEM (PIC)– American secretary of state Condoleezza Rice after her meeting on Monday with PA chief Mahmoud Abbas and the Israeli premier Ehud Olmert asked the new Palestinian unity government to recognize Israel.
Rice addressing a press conference after the in-camera meeting said that the unity government as stipulated in the Makkah agreement should respect all former agreements signed between the PLO and Israel.
Describing the tripartite meeting as “fruitful and constructive” she said “All three of us affirmed our commitment to a two-state solution agreed that a Palestinian state cannot be born of violence and terror.”
The secretary of state said that she would return to the region soon adding that the discussions also tackled means of implementing the roadmap for peace and demanded respect for the truce that was announced last November.
Hamas rebuffs Rice’s demands:
For its part the Hamas Movement who enjoys majority in the Palestinian parliament affirmed that the tripartite meeting would not pose as an obstacle before implementation of the Makkah agreement.
Dr. Ismail Redwan the Movement’s spokesman in Gaza said that the tripartite meeting adopted a negative approach to the unity government that won Arab Islamic and international support.
In a press release Redwan pointed out that Rice’s press conference was terse ambiguous and did not include details although it displayed that the USA did not welcome the new Palestinian unity government.
Hamas would not be affected by such “cheap blackmail” against the Palestinians and their upcoming government he asserted adding that the tripartite meeting failed before it began.
Rice reiterated the international quartet committee’s demands in a bid to blackmail the Palestinians following the Makkah agreement and to put hurdles before formation of the new government Redwan charged.
The Hamas spokesman asked Abbas to remain steadfast in face of American and Zionist pressures affirming Hamas’ support for him in face of such pressures and in face of the oppressive quartet conditions.
