Amr Moussa: Palestinian reconciliation will pressure Israel

Wed, 04/05/2011

Palestinian reconciliation leaves Israel with no excuse for not engaging more seriously in peace negotiations, outgoing Arab League Secretary General Amr Moussa said Wednesday.

In an interview published in Al-Sharq Al-Awsat, a London-based newspaper, Moussa said the Arab League will support the implementation of the Palestinian reconciliation on the ground.

Palestinian factions yesterday signed a reconciliation agreement between Hamas and Fatah that Hamas had signed last week. Egypt helped broker the agreement, which was signed in Cairo.

Moussa said he thinks Israel does not welcome the agreement because it will unify Palestinian negotiators and prevent Israel from claiming that all Palestinians are not properly represented in negotiations.

After the agreement, Hamas can no longer be labeled a terrorist organization, he said.

Moussa said he hopes the reconciliation is genuine, saying it is the quickest way to establish a Palestinian state. He said the will of the Palestinian people resisting Israel will guarantee Palestinian unity.

Moussa also told the paper that an upcoming emergency meeting for Arab foreign ministers will emphasize the need to recognize the legitimate demands of Arab nations to develop their countries and to avoid violence against protesters.

He also said he hopes the Libyan conflict between the government and rebels will not lead to the disintegration of the country.

Demands from both sides are preventing a resolution to the conflict, he said.

The upcoming Arab Summit will likely be postponed because protests in Arab countries will keep many Arab leaders at home, making any potential resolution less powerful, Moussa said.

Source: al-Masry al-Youm.
Link: http://www.almasryalyoum.com/en/node/423351.