During a meeting Monday evening in the northwestern West Bank city of Tulkarem, attendees from Islamic and National parties issued a call for a unity government. The meeting followed a national meeting which was held via video conference, between GazaCity and Ramallah, earlier this year.
The meeting called for a unity government based on the principles of the National Accord Document, sometimes called the Prisoners’ Document Accord issued by Palestinian leaders now imprisoned by the .
Despite disagreement between Hamas and Fatah on the Prisoners’ proposals, Palestinian Legislative Council (PLC) member, Ziad Abu Omar affirmed that discussions on various issues have begun and will not be stopped.
The National Accord Document envisages the creation of an independent Palestinian state with the capital in East Jerusalem and within the borders that existed before the Arab-Israeli war in 1967.
At the meeting on Monday regarding the national unity government, the parties indicated that at this point in Palestinian history, internal social justice is at the forefront, as the population continues to live under an increasingly aggressive occupation and dealing with the US-led political and economic boycott. A National Unity government is now necessary.
In keeping with that sense of internal cohesion, a major tribute was made to Palestinian political prisoners in Israeli jails whose initiative had sparked the debate on national unity.
They are: Marwan Barghouti (Fatah executive member and resistance leader), Sheikh Abdelkhalek al-Natshe (executive committee member of Hamas), and representatives from Islamic Jihad and both the Popular and Democratic Fronts for the Liberation of Palestine. It has 18 main points and covers a whole spectrum of issues relating to occupied and exiled Palestinians ranging from internal Palestinian security issues, to institutional reform, resistance, refugee rights, and negotiations.
According to Bashir Abu Manneh, writing in ZNET, "the basic tone and register of the document is one of national unity. The document seeks to affirm the basic political rights of the Palestinians. and create a national consensus around pursuing them. It seems to be written in the spirit of a ‘united front’ alliance ".
In addition,, the national and Islamic parties demanded the Israelis release Palestinian Authority Ministers, members of the Palestinian Legislative Council and all political prisoners.
