Hamas government approved, vows to fight Israel

By Nidal al-Mughrabi

GAZA (Reuters) – A Hamas-dominated Palestinian parliament
approved the Islamic militant group’s cabinet and program on
Tuesday, clearing the way for it to take control of the
government two months after its shock election victory.

Chanting “God is Greatest” after the 71-to-36 vote, Hamas
lawmakers hugged and kissed Ismail Haniyeh, their teary-eyed
prime minister-designate who vowed to not to abandon the fight
against Israel.

“The Koran is our constitution, Jihad is our way, and death
for the sake of God is our highest aspiration,” Hamas lawmaker
Hamed Bitawi said.

Tuesday’s comments stood in contrast to a more conciliatory
speech by Haniyeh on Monday in which he stressed the new
government’s push for peace and dialogue. The earlier speech
drew fire from some lawmakers for not stressing resistance.

The vote of confidence came on the day Israel held a
general election that interim Prime Minister Ehud Olmert was
expected to win on a platform of imposing Israel’s final
borders with the Palestinians if peacemaking remains stalled.

The new cabinet, dominated by Hamas loyalists, was expected
to be sworn in on Wednesday by President Mahmoud Abbas, whose
long-dominant Fatah faction refused to join the new government.

Hamas, committed by its charter to Israel’s destruction,
inherits an aid-dependent Palestinian Authority that is on the
brink of financial collapse.

A threatened cut in Western aid could make it more
difficult for Hamas to pay the salaries of an estimated 140,000
Palestinian Authority workers, including security personnel.
Aid groups say a funding crisis could lead to chaos and
violence.

CHANGE IN TONE

In presenting the cabinet for parliamentary approval on
Monday, Haniyeh sought to reach out to the West by saying his
government was ready for talks with the “Quartet” of Middle
East mediators on bringing a “just peace” to the region.

In contrast on Tuesday, Haniyeh said: “We were born from
the womb of resistance, we will protect resistance and the arm
of resistance will not be touched,” said Haniyeh.

Addressing Mariam Farhat, a newly-elected Hamas lawmaker
whose three sons died fighting Israel, Haniyeh said: “This the
fruit of the sacrifices by martyrs, including your sons. You’ve
got to be proud of this day.”

Israel seized on Haniyeh’s change of tone, saying it
reflected the new government’s “extremist” policies.

“I hope the sort of remarks we heard today help to dissolve
any possible illusion that might exist as to the true character
of this new Palestinian leadership,” said Foreign Ministry
spokesman Mark Regev.

The United States, grouped in the Quartet with the European
Union, Russia and the United Nations, has also rejected talks
with Hamas until it renounces violence, accepts interim peace
deals and recognizes Israel’s right to exist.

Hamas has carried out nearly 60 suicide bombings against
Israelis since 2000, but has largely abided by a year-old
truce.

After the vote, Haniyeh and several newly-approved cabinet
ministers prayed at the house of Hamas co-founder Sheikh Ahmed
Yassin, who was killed by an Israeli airstrike in 2004.

“We are coming to congratulate you and to say that the
blood of our Sheikh (Yassin) did not go in vain,” Haniyeh told
Yassin’s widow.