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Abbas, in Jenin, lambastes Hamas rule in Gaza Strip
By Avi Issacharoff

Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas slammed Hamas and defended his own decision making yesterday, during his first visit to the northern West Bank city of Jenin since his election in 2005.

In an speech there, Abbas called on Hamas to bring an end to its "Emirate of darkness in the Gaza Strip."
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Abbas said that during the week before the Israeli offensive in the Gaza Strip late last December, he contacted the Islamist group's leadership in order to convince them to extend the tahadiyeh - the informal "lull" in place with Israel. He also accused the Hamas leadership of fleeing the Gaza Strip into the Sinai Peninsula using ambulances, in order to avoid the fighting.

On the subject of the Goldstone report on Operation Cast Lead and alleged war crimes by the Israel Defense Forces and Hamas, Abbas defended himself from accusations that he betrayed the Palestinian cause by originally agreeing not to press for its discussion at the UN's Council for Human Rights. Abbas instead blamed Hamas, asserting that he had asked Hamas whether they were "in favor of the Goldstone report."

"Has anyone heard a clear Hamas position [on the report]?" Abbas asked rhetorically. "Are you for or against? At first they charged that the report was Zionist, and then they blamed us [Fatah] of rejecting it. Hamas found an excuse to reject reconciliation because of Goldstone. What is the connection?"

Abbas also charged that Hamas "always find an excuse to avoid reconciliation because they are happy with their emirate in Gaza. Egypt asked Hamas [to sign a reconciliation agreement]. They turned it down because of Goldstone."

"I am certain that today or tomorrow they will find a different excuse for rejecting the reconciliation. However, we will use every means in order to bring an end to the putsch in Gaza. But it will not be by force," Abbas vowed regarding PA efforts to evict Hamas rule in the Gaza Strip, which followed a violent overthrow of Fatah there in 2007.

No faith in Obama

Meanwhile, a Fatah document released yesterday shows that the movement has lost faith in the ability of U.S. President Barack Obama to bring about change in the Middle East or to help advance the peace process.

Fatah blames the United States of surrendering to the pro-Israeli lobby in Washington. It is still unclear whether the document, which was prepared under the purview of the Number 2 officer in Fatah, Muhammad Janim, reflects the views of Abbas, or whether it was leaked to pressure the United States to press Israel.
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