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Amanda Roraback's World in a Nutshell |
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Articles Glossaries
Sykes-Picot, UN Resolution 242,
1988 Hamas Covenant etc. Archives
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Saudi Peace
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Israel-Palestine |
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In early February 2007, the Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas met with Hamas' top leader, exiled Khaled Mashall, in Mecca, Saudi Arabia to negotiate the details for forming a national unity Palestinian government. WHO'S WHO Mahmoud Abbas -- President of the Palestinian Authority and leading politician in the Fatah Party. Fatah Party -- Founded in the late 1950s, the Fatah party is a nationalist secular coalition party. Hamas -- In the 2006 parliamentary elections, Fatah lost its majority in the Palestinian parliament to Hamas, a militant, Islamic party that does not recognize Israel's right to exist. Hamas was created in 1987 by Sheikh Ahmed Yassin. Khaled Mashal -- Leader of Hamas now living in Damascus. Mashal has declared that Hamas would stop armed struggle against Israel if it recognized the 1967 border and withdrew from all Palestinian occupied areas. DIFFERENT VIEWS While Hamas adamantly refuses to recognize Israel's existence (see Hamas's 1988 Charter), Mahmoud Abbas and his Fatah party endorse a degree of reconciliation with Israel. Hamas is also a religious party which provided humanitarian care to poor Palestinians. It has been deemed a terrorist organization by Israel and the West because of its role in training and funding terrorist activities against Israel. The popularity of the secular Fatah Party waned after the death of Yasser Arafat. The party had fielded criticism by supporters of Hamas because of its conciliation with Israel and endorsement of a two-state solution to the Middle East crisis (the creation of two states, Palestine and Israel, from the area currently under Israel's control).
Hamas won a majority of seats in the
Palestinian parliamentary elections in January,
2006.
SAUDI CONFERENCE In February 2007, representatives of Fatah and Hamas met in Saudi Arabia in order to work out plans to form a joint government. IRAN VS. SAUDI ARABIA (Persians vs. Arabs, Shiites vs. Sunnis) Iran and Saudi Arabia have been vying for religious and political authority over the Islamic world since the defeat of Iraq in 2003. Saudi Arabia's role as mediator between Fatah and Hamas is particularly significant since it undercuts Iran's growing influence in Lebanon, Iraq and among Shi'a Muslims in the region. Iran has been providing financial aid to Hamas since funds from the West were cut off after Hamas's election victory. In return, Hamas' leader, Khaled Mashal, agreed to step up attacks against Israel if military action was taken against Iran over its disputed nuclear program.
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