PA President Mahmoud Abbas announced a little over a week ago that he would give Haniyeh ten days to approve the plan authored by Fatah and Hamas prisoners in Israel led by convicted Fatah terrorist Marwan Barghouti.
The “Prisoners’ Plan” calls for the PA to accept the creation of a state within the 1967 borders as well as the 2002 Beirut Declaration, which calls for formal recognition of Israel upon withdrawal from territories won in the 1967 war.
The plan also calls for the “right of return” for millions of Arabs into Israel, continued Arab “struggle” --- a euphemism for terrorism – against Israel and the release of thousands of terrorist prisoners from Israeli jails, including the authors.
If Haniyeh does not approve the plan by Tuesday, Abbas will send it to a general referendum. Haniyeh has continued to reject the plan and the referendum. He also continues to reject the international Quartet demands that Hamas officially recognize Israel, disarm, renounce terrorism and uphold agreements signed by the previous PA administration. The “Prisoners’ Plan” would address those issues, were Israel to agree to the terms.
After a week of avoiding the issue, Haniyeh said that Abbas’ plans to hold a national referendum were illegal but that he would discuss the matter. “The local law does not permit holding referenda on the Palestinian law,” said Haniyeh on Sunday, in what appeared to be a continuation of the ongoing power struggle between the two PA leaders.
The “Prisoners’ Plan” calls for the PA to accept the creation of a state within the 1967 borders as well as the 2002 Beirut Declaration, which calls for formal recognition of Israel upon withdrawal from territories won in the 1967 war.
The plan also calls for the “right of return” for millions of Arabs into Israel, continued Arab “struggle” --- a euphemism for terrorism – against Israel and the release of thousands of terrorist prisoners from Israeli jails, including the authors.
If Haniyeh does not approve the plan by Tuesday, Abbas will send it to a general referendum. Haniyeh has continued to reject the plan and the referendum. He also continues to reject the international Quartet demands that Hamas officially recognize Israel, disarm, renounce terrorism and uphold agreements signed by the previous PA administration. The “Prisoners’ Plan” would address those issues, were Israel to agree to the terms.
After a week of avoiding the issue, Haniyeh said that Abbas’ plans to hold a national referendum were illegal but that he would discuss the matter. “The local law does not permit holding referenda on the Palestinian law,” said Haniyeh on Sunday, in what appeared to be a continuation of the ongoing power struggle between the two PA leaders.