Palestine Gov`t Receives Mixed Welcome – “Israel” rejects Palestinian Unity Government

Source: Compiled by Moqawama.org, 16-3-2007
PARIS - A new Palestinian unity government presented Thursday has been hailed in the Arab world but received only a guarded welcome from the US and Europe.
US State Department spokesman Sean McCormack said Washington will wait "until the government is actually in place and we have an understanding of what their platform will be".
The "Israeli" occupation regime rejected contact with any government including Hamas, urging the West to maintain the aid boycott imposed a year ago.
The EU reaction to the new government, uniting Hamas with Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas`s Fatah party, was only slightly more upbeat.
"As we have said many times we are going to wait and see. Fortunately we have to wait and see a little less time now," EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana said in Germany.
EU spokeswoman Emma Udwin said the European Commission has yet to assess the new government`s program.
Italian Foreign Minister Massimo D`Alema praised Abbas for his success but added that the Quartet`s conditions were not met. These "must remain the objective``, he wrote.
French Prime Minister Dominique de Villepin however was more optimistic.
"I believe it can put an end to the current blockage and I hope so," he said, speaking from New York after a meeting with UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon.
In Moscow, Russian Foreign Ministry spokesman Mikhail Kamynin welcomed the development.
"It is inarguably an important event in terms of consolidation of the Palestinian ranks,`` he said in a statement, noting that the Mecca accord "took into account`` the Quartet conditions.
The Organization of the Islamic Conference urged world powers -- and in particular the quartet -- to respond by lifting the financial embargo.
OIC chief Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu expressed the hope that the new government would "receive full support from the Islamic world and the international community".
Arab League secretary Amr Moussa called formation of the government an "important step``.
The official Saudi Press Agency reported that the country`s King Abdullah spoke with Abbas on the phone Thursday and "congratulated`` him on the successful conclusion of the negotiations.
Nimr Hamad, an Abbas aide, said the new government now represented all Palestinians.
"When ‘Israel' says it doesn`t want to deal with it, it means it does not want to deal with the Palestinians,`` Hamad said.
Palestinian Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh of Hamas said Thursday he hoped the new government will "launch a new era`` for the Palestinians.
The Palestinian parliament is scheduled to vote approval of the new Cabinet on Saturday.
Here are the new Palestinian Unity Cabinet members from different Palestinian parties:
Prime Minister: Ismail Haniyeh
Vice Prime Minister: Azzam Al-Ahmad (Fatah faction)
Foreign Minister: Ziad Abu Amro (Independent)
Financial Minister: Salam Fayyad (Third road bloc)
Interior Minister: Hani Talab Al-Qawasemy (Independent)
Information Minister: Moustafa el Barghouti (Independent)
Health Minister: Radwan Al-Akhras (Fatah)
Culture Minister: Bassam As-Salihi (Nation`s party)
Social Affairs Minister: Saleh Zaidan (Democratic Front)
Labor Minister: Mahmoud Al-Aloul (Fatah)
Transportation Minister: Saadi Al-Karnaz (Fatah)
Detainees` Affairs Minister: Taysir Abu Sonaina (Fatah)
Public Works Minister: Samih Shbib (Fatah)
Education Minister: Nasser Al-Sha`er (Hamas)
Local Authority Minister: Mohammad Al-Barghouti (Hamas)
Planning Minister: Samir Abu Ayshi (Hamas)
Youth and Sports Minister: Bassem Naim (Hamas)
Agriculture Minister: Mohammad Al-Agha (Hamas)
Communication Minister: Youssef Al-Mansi (Hamas)
Economy Minister: Ziad Al-Zaza (Hamas)
Endowment and Religious Affairs: Ismail Shandi (Hamas)
Justice Minister: Ali Al-Sartawi (Hamas)
State Minister: Wasfi Qabha (Hamas)
Tourism Minister: Kholoud Hadib Do`aybes (Independent)
Woman`s Affairs Minister: Mariam Saleh (Hamas)
Meanwhile, "Israeli" occupation Foreign Ministry Mark Regev announced that `"Israel"` won't deal with the new Palestinian government and will urge the international community not to work with the coalition.