GAZA
CITY, April 29 (IslamOnline.net & News Agencies) - As Palestinian
prime minister-designate Mahmoud Abbas (Abu Mazen) vowed Tuesday, April
29, before the parliament to crack down on the arms and activities of
resistance movements and incitement to violence, the Islamic resistance
movement (Hamas) and the Islamic Jihad flatly rejected to hand over
their weapons, pledging the resistance will go non-stop.
"Hamas
rejects this call to hand over our weapons because all our lives, in the
Palestinian Authority, Hamas, Islamic Jihad, are in danger from the
Israeli policy of assassination. We need to defend ourselves and our
land," a Hamas leader told Agence Fracne-Presse (AFP).
"That
would be suicidal," he added.
"This
issue will threaten Palestinian security," he said, adding he did
not think the Palestinian Authority would follow through on Abbas'
pledge to "end the chaos of arms" made during a parliamentary
session to approve his new cabinet.
He
said Hamas would try "very hard to avoid clashes" if the
security forces tried to disarm them, but any response would be decided
in conjunction with other Palestinian factions.
"If
the Palestinian Authority asks us to surrender our weapons we will
refuse," said Abdal Aziz al-Rantisi, a Hamas leader.
For
his part, the spokesman for the Islamic Jihad Nafez Azzam, said the
movement will never give up resistance unless the Israeli occupation has
come to an end.
"The
Palestinian fighters had never laid down their arms at any point in
time," Azzam told Al-Jazeera.
Mohammed
al-Hindi, of the same movement, called on Abbas "to protect our
weapons against the Zionist occupier."
"We
ask Abbas if he means the weapons of our resistance fighters or
not," he told AFP.
'Incitement,
Violence Not Tolerated'
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"Hamas
rejects this call to hand over our weapons," Rantisi
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In
a powerful speech to the Palestinian parliament earlier in the day,
Abbas vowed to crack down on "illegal arms," incitement to
violence and corruption, all “key steps” demanded by Israel as steps
to put the peace process back on track.
"We
call on the opposition factions to develop their dialogue and to stop
the language of provocation.
"To
end the disorder and the chaos of weapons ... will be one of the main
tasks of the government," he said, adding that security forces
alone would be allowed to carry weapons, "said Abbas.
Addressing
the parliament as it convened to approve his new cabinet, Abbas also
extended his hand to Israel for renewed negotiations, but warned that
real peace would only come if Israel dismantled Jewish settlements in
the Palestinian lands.
"There
will be a real peace only without settlements. You have to choose,"
he said in a message to the Israeli people.
"We
reject terrorism from any party and in all its forms. We extend our hand
in negotiation," he said.
"The
government will in particular concentrate its attention on the security
of Palestinian citizens and their safety in their homeland. The
government will ... pay most attention to the professional
qualifications of members of security departments and will not be
lenient towards any violation."
"The
government understands that putting things in order internally cannot be
achieved without the sovereignty of the law and that will not be with
any meaning without an independent judiciary, without legal
institutions," he said.
"We'll
assure the transparency of the budget, the government will struggle
against corruption, people will face justice if caught abusing their
powers," he said.
Commenting
on Abbas' pledges, a senior Israeli official said Tuesday that Israel
would judge Abbas by his actions and not his words.
"The
real test is what he does on the ground and not what he says," said
Raanan Gissin, a spokesman for Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon.
"We
are waiting to see. What counts is not his promise to reform but his
ability to perform," Gissin said.
"It's
not just about (Abbas) fighting terrorism but about profound reforms to
put an end to the chaos that reigns in Palestinian society," he
added.
