It is by no means acceptable to count out a number of Palestinian factions: Al-Rantissi.

By Abd Al-Raheem Ali, Mostafa Al-Sawaaf, IOL Staff Writers

CAIRO, January 21 (IslamOnline) – The Palestinian Islamic Resistance Movement Hamas and Islamic Jihad movements made their participation in the Cairo-hosted inter-Palestinian talks conditional on the presence of two uninvited Palestinian factions, the Popular Front (under the general leadership of Ahmad Gibril) and Al-Sa’qa.

“The inter-Palestinian dialogue aims primarily at firming up national unity between different Palestinian factions; therefore, it is by no means acceptable to count out a number of Palestinian factions, since it will only deepen the rift instead of healing it,” spokesman for Hamas Abd el-Aziz Al-Rantissi told IslamOnline Tuesday, January 21.

Rantissi, however, said there are painstaking efforts exerted to save the dialogue, noting that Egypt had extended the invitation to the Popular Front and Al-Sa’qa faction.

All Palestinian factions must be around in Cairo: Sheikh Ahmad Yassin.

In press statements to IslamOnline’s Gaza correspondent, Hamas’s spiritual leader Sheikh Ahmad Yassin said that Hamas demanded that the dialogue should be all-inclusive, pointing out that Hamas backtracked on taking part in the talks when it learned that the aforesaid factions would not enter into the dialogue.

“Hamas has hammered out a deal with the dialogue’s supervisors that all Palestinian factions must be around in Cairo. But some sources demanded the exclusion of certain factions… and this is a brazen breach of the sealed deal,” Yassin said.

For his part, spokesman for Islamic Jihad Khaled al-Batch said his movement hopes that Egypt will invite all Palestinian factions, pointing out that he saw eye-to-eye with Sheikh Yassin on the importance of holding an overall dialogue to enhance its credibility.

Unconfirmed information says that Egypt has not invited the two groups due to their solid bonds with Syria, adding that a number of key Palestinian factions accused them of aborting the inter-Palestinian dialogue in August 2002.

Earnest Efforts to Save the Dialogue

For his part, head of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine’s delegation, Maher Taher, said talks are under way to settle the crisis, expecting that an official invitation will be extended to the two factions.

In exclusive statements to IslamOnline, Taher said he held talks with head of Hamas’ politburo Khaled Mashaal, Zakaria Al-Agha, a member of Palestinian President Yasser Arafat’s Fatah movement, and a number of Palestinian factions, who came to Cairo for the dialogue.

Taher also said he also held talks with some Egyptian officials, who asserted that Egypt did not object to inviting the two factions, pointing out that it was an internal Palestinian matter.

Taher confirms talks are under way to settle the crisis

The Palestinian official added that the talks dwelt on the importance of the participation of the Popular Front and Al-Sa’qa in the inter-Palestinian dialogue, since they were original members of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO).

Taher said the Popular Front will put forward a working paper, which includes the following seven items, which aver that:

1- The Palestinian people are fairly entitled to resist the unbridled Israeli aggression and the intifada must be seen as a legitimate right for the Palestinians

2- Resistance operations are self-defense against all Israeli violations

3- It is important to help the PLO act in unison.

4- Palestinian refugees have every right to return to their homes

5- It is incumbent upon all factions to create a democratic collective leadership.

6- It is important to establish a sovereign Palestinian state with Al-Quds (Jerusalem) as its capital.

7- It is necessary to pay undivided attention to the national dimension and the Palestinian cause.

News on Cancellation

Meanwhile, a Palestinian official, who refused to put his name, told Reuters news agency that the Palestinian talks were called off due to an argument about the factions that should attend the meeting.

The unnamed official said Egypt cancelled the meeting after Syria had rejected to allow the Palestinian factions in Damascus to take part in the talks.

Other Palestinian sources told Reuters that Egypt did not ask some factions to come and put forward some unbearable conditions, including an immediate stop to the incessant confrontations between the Palestinians and the Israelis.

However, a senior Palestinian official told IslamOnline that the dialogue would be held on Wednesday, January 22, irrespective of the absence of some factions.

For his part, Zakaria al-Agha, a member of Arafat’s Fatah movement, said Fatah’s delegation arrived in Cairo on Tuesday, asserting that the delegation was ready to kick off talks and he had no idea about the cancellation matter.