Islamic Jihad Says Palestinian Factions to Hold Cairo Talks on Ending Crisis

Text of report in English by independent, non-governmental Palestinian Ma’an News Agency website

[Interview with Islamic Jihad's Khalid al-Batsh: "Islamic Jihad Leader: Hamas and Fatah To Meet in Cairo"]

Gaza, 2 Dec (Ma’an) – Islamic Jihad leader Khalid al-Batsh revealed to Ma’an on Sunday that there will be talks in Cairo between all Palestinian factions including Hamas and Fatah rivals in attempts to bring to an end the interim inter-Palestinian crisis.

He added that Islamic Jihad is exerting every effort to bring about dialogue in Cairo and Mecca, aimed at ending the political stalemate in the Palestinian territories.

He said Islamic Jihad is in the centre of the political spectrum between both Hamas and Fatah, despite the clashes with Hamas forces which have resulted in the deaths of some Islamic Jihad members.

This is the full interview with Khalid Al-Batsh:

Q: After six months of Hamas’ control over the Gaza Strip, is there any progress towards dialogue to end this state of emergency?

A: Islamic Jihad has always announced its opposition to the conflict and we consider its outcome unacceptable. Consequently, we demand the resumption of dialogue so as to change this bitter situation and unite the Gaza Strip and the West Bank under one Palestinian government which serves the Palestinian interests. To achieve this, both Hamas and Fatah have to stop sedition campaigns and halt night attacks against the Palestinian people in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip. The Palestinian people can not remain hostages of rivalry between Hamas and Fatah. We have to end this state of division in order to counter the major danger of the Israeli occupation.

Q: Do we expect Arab countries such as Egypt, which previously patronized this dialogue, to play a role again?

A: Before we talk about Egypt, we have to pinpoint that Islamic Jihad is conducting ongoing high level contact between Hamas and Fatah to end the crisis.

These efforts are always enhanced by the Popular and the Democratic Fronts for the Liberation of Palestine among other factions. We realize that real dialogue can only be held in Cairo and Mecca, because Egypt and Saudi Arabia have played major roles in the past to reconcile between Hamas and Fatah. However, Islamic Jihad should take the initiative and take the first step towards dialogue.

I believe countries like Egypt and Saudi Arabia will play a significant role in reconciliation, and we might see, in the near future, meetings in Cairo between the Palestinian factions aimed at ending the state of division in the Palestinian political arena.

Q: The Annapolis conference is over, and you were worried about its results. What are you afraid of now after the conference?

A: First of all, the conference gave the Palestinians nothing. When we said it was not expected to be beneficial to the Palestinians, some said it would give them a state. There was no state declared neither was the embargo lifted. The Arab peace initiative, which Islamic Jihad had rejected, was not accredited either. The conference might have been an opportunity for economic relations between Israel and the Arab states.

We were included in the conference’s front page, but when it came to reality, the conference discussed issues such as attacking Iran, Hezbollah and Syria in addition to preparing to invade the Gaza Strip.

Q: What is your stance towards the Fatah-Hamas dispute?

Frankly speaking, we do not side with one party against the other. We are against one government in the Gaza Strip and another in the West Bank, because this is against the interests of the Palestinian people. Consequently, we reject the practices of the Hamas-affiliated police forces in the Gaza Strip and those of the Fatah-affiliated police in Ramallah. We are part of the solution, but not part of the crisis.

Q: There have been several problems between you and Hamas in the Gaza Strip, then things calmed down. Have you reached an agreement?

The troubles with Hamas in the Gaza Strip harmed us as we lost many of our loved ones. However, we endeavoured to contain the crisis and hoped it would not be repeated again. We reached agreement ban ning confrontations as we preach the same Islamic ideology and we do not wish to control ministries or security services. We have a joint scheme, which is resistance which we endeavour to keep away from in-fighting.

Originally published by Ma’an News Agency website, Bethlehem, in English 1708 2 Dec 07.

(c) 2007 BBC Monitoring Middle East. Provided by ProQuest Information and Learning. All rights Reserved.