Major powers urged the Palestinian Authority this week to start dismantling armed militias, saying that engaging in violence was incompatible with participating in elections.
But the Quartet of international peace mediators stopped short of backing Israeli demands that the militant group Hamas be barred from standing in legislative elections next January unless it disarms and recognizes the Jewish state.
Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon has threatened to not to cooperate with the PA on the Palestinian legislative elections due in January if Hamas takes part, The New York Times reported.
Ministers of the United States, the European Union, Russia and the United Nations said in a joint statement after meeting at U.N. headquarters that following Israel’s withdrawal from Gaza, the Palestinians needed to maintain law and order and ‘dismantle terrorist capabilities and infrastructure.’
‘Ultimately, those who want to be part of the political process should not engage in armed group or militia activities, for there is a fundamental contradiction between such activities and the building of a democratic state,’ they said.
Hamas has said it plans to take part for the first time in January’s legislative elections in which it is expected to make a strong showing after sweeping a string of town halls in the Gaza Strip in municipal elections earlier this year.
Responding to Sharon’s threat to obstruct the conduct of Palestinian elections if Hamas is allowed to run, U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said: ‘We understand this is a transition and we think everybody else understands this is a transitional process.’
‘We have to give the Palestinians some room for the evolution of their political process.’
Sharon had earlier protested, saying ‘I said in the clearest way possible that we completely oppose Hamas’ participation in the elections as long as they haven’t given up their weapons.’
‘In Gaza, we can no longer influence Hamas’ participation ... but in other places, we won’t cooperate with anything,’ he said, without detailing how Israel could hinder the vote.
The New York Times Israeli officials feared Hamas would “get 40 percent of the vote, and that will set us back 10 years.”
The Palestinian leadership reacted angrily to Sharon’s threat, with Palestinian Authority spokesman Nabil Abu Rudeina saying ‘The Palestinian election is an internal Palestinian issue.’
‘All Palestinians have a right to participate in this election and in our political life. I think this is another Israeli tactic to stop the progress in the peace process.’
The Quartet praised Sharon’s political courage in carrying through the Gaza withdrawal but said Israeli settlement activity in the occupied West Bank must stop.
But it also expressed concern about the route of Israel’s West Bank security barrier.
But the Quartet of international peace mediators stopped short of backing Israeli demands that the militant group Hamas be barred from standing in legislative elections next January unless it disarms and recognizes the Jewish state.
Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon has threatened to not to cooperate with the PA on the Palestinian legislative elections due in January if Hamas takes part, The New York Times reported.
Ministers of the United States, the European Union, Russia and the United Nations said in a joint statement after meeting at U.N. headquarters that following Israel’s withdrawal from Gaza, the Palestinians needed to maintain law and order and ‘dismantle terrorist capabilities and infrastructure.’
‘Ultimately, those who want to be part of the political process should not engage in armed group or militia activities, for there is a fundamental contradiction between such activities and the building of a democratic state,’ they said.
Hamas has said it plans to take part for the first time in January’s legislative elections in which it is expected to make a strong showing after sweeping a string of town halls in the Gaza Strip in municipal elections earlier this year.
Responding to Sharon’s threat to obstruct the conduct of Palestinian elections if Hamas is allowed to run, U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said: ‘We understand this is a transition and we think everybody else understands this is a transitional process.’
‘We have to give the Palestinians some room for the evolution of their political process.’
Sharon had earlier protested, saying ‘I said in the clearest way possible that we completely oppose Hamas’ participation in the elections as long as they haven’t given up their weapons.’
‘In Gaza, we can no longer influence Hamas’ participation ... but in other places, we won’t cooperate with anything,’ he said, without detailing how Israel could hinder the vote.
The New York Times Israeli officials feared Hamas would “get 40 percent of the vote, and that will set us back 10 years.”
The Palestinian leadership reacted angrily to Sharon’s threat, with Palestinian Authority spokesman Nabil Abu Rudeina saying ‘The Palestinian election is an internal Palestinian issue.’
‘All Palestinians have a right to participate in this election and in our political life. I think this is another Israeli tactic to stop the progress in the peace process.’
The Quartet praised Sharon’s political courage in carrying through the Gaza withdrawal but said Israeli settlement activity in the occupied West Bank must stop.
But it also expressed concern about the route of Israel’s West Bank security barrier.
