Fatah to stage show of strength

In a show of strength against Hamas, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas’ Fatah movement planned a large anniversary rally today, but Abbas aides said the moderate leader would also give coalition talks with the Islamic militant group another chance.

Fatah supporters were being bussed to the city of Ramallah from across the West Bank to ensure a large turnout, mirroring a Fatah rally that drew tens of thousands in the Gaza Strip last week.

Abbas was to address the crowd at his Ramallah headquarters, and police lined the access roads to the walled compound.

Negotiations on bringing Fatah into the Hamas-led Cabinet are to resume soon and continue for two weeks, said Rafiq Husseini, a senior Abbas aide.

If the talks fail, he said, Abbas would proceed with his plan to call early elections.

Abbas insists the militant Hamas must soften its positions so the programme of the new coalition will be acceptable to the international community and help end a 10-month international economic boycott.

The international community has demanded that Hamas, which calls for Israel’s destruction, recognise the Jewish state’s right to exist, renounce violence and accept past agreements with Israel. Hamas, which won parliamentary elections last year, has refused. Abbas was elected separately two years ago.

Hamas is going into the talks with a revised agenda, including a demand that the current prime minister, Ismail Haniyeh of Hamas, remain in the job, said Hamas spokesman Fawzi Barhoum.

In the previous round of talks, Haniyeh had agreed in principle to step down and let an independent be appointed in his place.

It was not immediately clear whether Abbas would agree to have a Hamas politician lead the new coalition, but he and Haniyeh get along well.

Hamas officials also said they are willing to compromise on a previous sticking point, control over the Interior Ministry which oversees the security forces, and are willing to give the post to an independent.

In the previous round of talks, Hamas had demanded continued control over the ministry.

Abbas’ decision to resume talks with Hamas comes after several weeks of bloody Hamas-Fatah fighting that left 35 people dead, most in Gaza.

It also followed angry exchanges between the two sides, with Hamas accusing Abbas of trying to overthrow the government with his call for new elections.

Despite the bloodshed and rancour, both sides appear to have little choice but to return to coalition talks and find a way to share power.

Abbas would likely have trouble holding early elections over Hamas’ objections. Hamas, meanwhile, is concerned it will lose popular support if the fighting continues.

As part of the renewed negotiations, Abbas was to meet in Syria next week with President Bashar Assad, who is hosting the top leaders of Hamas and other militant Palestinian groups.

It is not clear whether Abbas will meet in Syria or a subsequent trip to Lebanon with Hamas’ supreme leader, Khaled Mashaal.