Former Palestinian minister and Fatah’s frontman, Mohammad Dahalan, said Monday that Israel’s pretexts in the face of a Palestinian unity government are unjustified, given Hamas’ authorization to President Abbas to negotiate with Israel.
Dhalan, who attended the Monday trilateral summit, affirmed that he would exert utmost efforts to protect the Palestinian national project, and support the likely unity government in participation with the rival Hamas.
The Palestinian leader also called for the use all possible means at the Palestinians’ disposal, including ties with the United States and the European Union, to achieve the aspirations of the Palestinian people.
In a press conference in Ramallah, Dahalan told reporters “President Abbas has exerted relentless efforts to unite the Palestinian people and we won’t allow Israel to impose its illogical rhetoric on the people”
The former minister asserted that the upcoming coalition government holds a realistic political agenda that abides by the international and Arab legitimacy resolutions and takes the Palestine Liberation Organization as its reference body”.
In this respect, Dahalan explained that the Israeli pretext that ‘it has no peace partner’ has been alleged before, prior to the passing away of late president Arafat.
Now Israel is using the same pretext with President Abbas as a tool to evade serious negotiations that can reach a drastic solution for the Palestinian question, the senior Palestinian official made clear.
Dahalan affirmed that all Palestinian factions including Hamas have commissioned president Abbas to negotiate with the Israeli side over final status issues, in order to leave no room for any Israeli government pretexts.
