AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE,
Palestinian Authority president Mahmud Abbas told the UN General Assembly that any new Palestinian government would recognise Israel.
“I would like to reaffirm that any future Palestinian government will commit to all the agreements that the Palestine Liberation Organization and the Palestinian Authority have committed to,” he said in a speech to the assembly.
Abbas referred in particular to letters exchanged by Palestinian and Israeli leaders, Yasser Arafat and Yitzhak Rabin, in 1993 which contained mutual recognition of the two sides.
Abbas, who has been negotiating with the Hamas group over a national unity government, said: “These two letters contain a reciprocal recognition between the PLO and Israel, reject violence and call for negotiations to reach a permanent settlement with the creation of an independent Palestinian state next to Israel.”
“Any future government will commit to imposing security and order, to ending the phenomena of multiple militias, indiscipline and chaos, and to the rule of law,” he added.
Recognition of Israel and renunciation of violence have been among key conditions set by the international community — led by the diplomatic Quartet on the Middle East — to assist any Hamas-led government in the Palestinian territories.
Hamas currently rejects both conditions.
The Palestinian president has been negotiating with Hamas, which won a landmark legislative election in January, about setting up a national unity government.
Hamas and Fatah, the party led by Abbas, have agreed to set up a unity government, based on a national reconciliation document drawn up in June which implicitly recognises Israel.
Hamas leaders say, however, the accord does not include recognition of Israel and Abbas froze negotiations with the rival group before leaving for the UN General Assembly where the Middle East peace process has come under a renewed spotlight.
The UN Security Council held a special ministerial meeting earlier in the day to discuss the Israel-Palestinian conflict, at the request of the Arab League.
At the meeting, UN Secretary General Kofi Annan called for renewed efforts to bring together Israelis and Palestinians.
“The time has come to rebuild the shattered bridge to peace” between Israel and the Palestinians, Annan told the gathering. “Our continued failure to resolve this conflict calls into question the legitimacy and the effectiveness of this council itself.”
There was no immediate US reaction to Abbas's speech, but after the Security Council meeting US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said: “We have welcomed his (Abbas) efforts to bring an end to the crisis through the formation of a unity government.
“But a unity government would need to reflect the Quartet principles because you can't have peace unless you recognize the other partner for peace and renounce violence.” The Quartet has insisted that any Palestinian government must recognise Israel, renounce violence and stick to past accords made with Israel.
