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Hamas: ‘Arab veto to prevent us from joining PLO’

December 22, 2020 at 3:04 pm

Hamas revealed, on Sunday, the existence of a “veto” by some Arab parties on the movement’s entry to the Palestine Liberation Organisation (PLO).

Hosam Badran, head of Hamas’ national relations office, said in statements published on the organisation’s website that “there are some Arab parties that have vetoed against Hamas’ entry to the Palestine Liberation Organisation.”

“But let everyone be reassured that Hamas (…) will not be affected by the intensity of the occupation’s hostility, or the rivalry of those close to us, and we will not back down on our positions and constants.”

The PLO was established in 1964 to represent Palestinians in international forums.

Badran said that this and other actions being taken at this time are part of “the aim of the occupation’s pursuit to normalise relations with several Arab countries is to trick the Palestinians into thinking that the Arabs have abandoned them.”

He continued: “But we know that the overwhelming majority of the peoples of our nation are with Palestine and its cause, and that the normalisation of the regimes does not represent the populations or express their views.”

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Since mid-August, the US has announced normalisation deals between Israel and four Arab states: the UAEBahrainSudan and Morocco.

Badran pointed out that “the Palestinian leadership’s decision to resume cooperation with the occupation thwarted reconciliation efforts and disturbed the balance of all Palestinian relations, not just relations between Hamas and Fatah.”

He also pointed out that “the failure to achieve reconciliation does not prevent the continuation of efforts to achieve it.”

The Hamas official said that “the movement is intensifying dialogue with Fatah on the file of restructuring and reviving the Palestine Liberation Organisation.”

On  17 November, the Palestinian Authority (PA) announced the restoration of relations with Israel, after they were suspended by a decision by Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas on 19 May, in protest against an Israeli plan aimed at annexing about a third of the occupied West Bank.

 

On 25 November, Fatah announced that reconciliation talks between Palestinian factions had failed due to disagreements with Hamas over the dates for holding the elections.