By Xinhua
Gaza : A senior Hamas official revealed on Saturday that a dialogue between his movement and rival Fatah movement is to be postponed until after the visit of U.S. President George W. Bush to the region in January.
Ahmed Yousef, also an aide to the deposed Prime Minister Ismail Haneya of Hamas, told reporters that he expects that the few weeks prior to Bush visit “might obstruct the launching of the dialogue between Hamas and Fatah.”
“President (Mahmoud) Abbas doesn’t want to appear as if he paves the way for a dialogue with Hamas, because the Americans don’t want this dialogue. It is an interest for them to keep internal disagreement goes on,” said Yousef.
Earlier reports said Arab countries are exerting efforts to resume dialogues between the two rival movements that stopped after Hamas ousted President Abbas’ security forces and took control of the Gaza Strip.
Abbas has linked the resumption of dialogue with Hamas to ending ruling Gaza and controlling the security and police headquarters.
The reports said that moderate Hamas leaders expressed readiness to handover civil institutions, the house and headquarters of Abbas as well as borders crossings, mainly Rafah crossing on the borders with Egypt.
However, Hamas spokesman in Gaza Sami Abu Zuhri denied the reports, saying any dialogue with Abbas or Fatah movement “must be resumed without any preconditions.”
But Yousef revealed that some Fatah leaders told Hamas earlier in relation to the resumption of dialogue “give us some more time until we see the results of Annapolis conference.”
“The donors’ conference will be held in Paris in 10 days, and there will be the Moslems holidays of Eid al-Adha, and then President Bush visit. I believe it won’t be reasonable to start any contacts under such a situation,” said Yousef.
He said that there are many countries, such as Qatar, Turkey and Saudi Arabia “are interested to see the two rival parties sitting before each other on the table of dialogue.”
“I don’t see any reason for Abbas to continue rejecting a dialogue with Hamas. He (Abbas) still has time to make a historic event,” said Yousef.