Palestinians divided over Annapolis conference

Source: Xinhua | 11-28-2007 11:23

GAZA, Nov. 27 (Xinhua) -- As leaders from more than 40 nations, territories and international organizations gather on Tuesday in Annapolis, the United States, to discuss peace in the Mideast, the Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza Strip were divided over the meeting.

More than 40 countries and international organizations, including Israel, the Palestinians and 16 Arab countries, are meeting to declare launching a large Middle East peace process between Israel and the Arabs.

The talks are aimed at jump-starting negotiations for creating a Palestinian state. But few expects a swift breakthrough between the two sides, led by Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, both holding a shaky footing at home.

In Gaza, which is controlled by Hamas Islamists who oppose the meeting, tens of thousands joined an anti-Annapolis rally chanting" Abbas is a traitor" and "Death to Israel, death to America." Security forces in Ramallah, Abbas's West Bank stronghold, dispersed crowds after scuffles at a protest there.

Hamas leaders and supporters there said even if there are results coming out of the conference, they would be rejected, because they would mean concessions on all the lands of historic Palestine and the legitimate rights of the Palestinians.

"Whatever the results are, we will never accept any concession on all the lands of Palestine and we will never recognize the state of Israel," said Mahmoud al-Zahar, a senior Islamic Hamas leader.

Those who are supporting Abbas in Gaza and the West Bank, on the other hand, are still hopeful, saying that they'd wait for the results and see if the promises of U.S. President George W. Bushare true.

"We are living under occupation, and Gaza is under severe Israeli siege and world embargo, nothing it would be changed if Annapolis conference fails. The situation will remain as it is for longer periods," said Haytham Hadeed, a resident of Gaza City.

Ordinary people in the Palestinian territories are divided over the Annapolis conference.

Ahmed Diab, 35, a governmental employee from Gaza said that "Annapolis conference will not bring anything new to the Palestinian people."

"It is just a repetition of many other peace conferences that happened in the past, which sought to reinforce the principle of making concession on the Palestinian national and legitimate rights," he added.

Somaya Hassanien, 42, a housekeeper from Gaza said "we don't count much on the conference because it was the United States which called for it, which, she said, has never presented anything for the Palestinians.

Nevertheless, "we hope this time, the United States and Israel would show seriousness and faithfulness in ending the long-lasting suffering of the people," she added.

But Anttar Dogmosh, 39, riding on his mule-pulled cart in Gaza city said that "we want Abu Mazen (President Mahmoud Abbas) to come back to Gaza and end Hamas control here."

He added that "life in Gaza is becoming a nightmare, we want a quick solution to end our suffering, today I can find food for my family and my mule, but if the situation continues like this, we all would starve."

Hamza Abu Samrah, a 22-year-old student studies in the Islamic University of Gaza, who supports Hamas movement said that "the best way to solve the Palestinian question is through ongoing resistance."

He added that the current peace negotiations and joining Annapolis meeting "are just sprinkling dusts in the eyes. Nothing would come out of this meeting, and our Jihad would continue to the end."

Mekheimer Abu Se'da, a Palestinian analyst and a university academic from Gaza said "it becomes obvious that holding Annapolis peace summit amid the current division between Gaza and the West Bank would weaken the ability of the negotiators to negotiate the legitimate Palestinian rights."

Gaza Strip has been under the rule of Hamas since the movement defeated the security forces loyal to President Abbas in June.

Abu Se'da accused Israel for not showing any seriousness or concerns during the three-week's talks that precede the meeting, adding "Israel is slighting any possibility to reach any agreement with the Palestinians."

"The unserious Israeli position is a result of splitting the Palestinian territories into Gaza, controlled by Hamas, and the West Bank, controlled by Abbas. It is also a result of Abbas disability to reunion the two territories and unifying his internal front," said Abu Se'da.

Abu Se'da also dismissed the Annapolis meeting as "another Israeli way to exert pressures on the Palestinian side to gain more Israeli and American interests in the region."

"I believe that Annapolis meeting wouldn't achieve any scores for the Palestinians, mainly establishing an independent Palestinian state on the territories occupied in 1967," said Gaza academic. "In my opinion, Annapolis will just be a conference of unclear and obscure speeches."

Till early Tuesday, Israeli and Palestinian negotiators had yet to agree on a joint document on future peace talks even after negotiations that stretched late into the night in Washington, according to reported from the United States.

The first large conference on the Middle East peace was held in Madrid in Spain in 1993, at the end of which the Oslo interim accord was signed, which led to the establishment of the Palestinian National Authority (PNA).

Editor:Zhang Pengfei