Shabir, a 60 year old U.S.-educated university professor, is a legislator in the current PA government. He is considered to be close to Hamas but is not aligned with any specific party. According to a senior Hamas official who spoke on condition of anonymity, Shabir accepted the invitation by the two factions. There has been no official announcement as yet.
The European Union welcomed the prospect of a U.S.-educated professor leading a new unity government, but emphasized there would be no change in its demands, one of which specifies that the PA must formally recognize the State of Israel.
EU External Relations Commissioner Benita Ferrero-Waldner(pictured) said Monday that the Quartet of nations (Russia, the U.S., the EU and the United Nations) has not retracted its demands that the Hamas-led PA government formally acknowledge Israel’s right to exist, renounce violence and uphold agreements with Israel signed by the previous PA government.
Similarly, Hamas has maintained its stance that it will never recognize the state of Israel, a point that has caused numerous problems in past attempts to form a unity government with Fatah.
The foreign ministers of the EU member nations are set to pressure both the Hamas and Fatah factions to enter peace talks with Israel as soon as the new unity government is in place, according to the Associated Press.
The European Union welcomed the prospect of a U.S.-educated professor leading a new unity government, but emphasized there would be no change in its demands, one of which specifies that the PA must formally recognize the State of Israel.
EU External Relations Commissioner Benita Ferrero-Waldner(pictured) said Monday that the Quartet of nations (Russia, the U.S., the EU and the United Nations) has not retracted its demands that the Hamas-led PA government formally acknowledge Israel’s right to exist, renounce violence and uphold agreements with Israel signed by the previous PA government.
Similarly, Hamas has maintained its stance that it will never recognize the state of Israel, a point that has caused numerous problems in past attempts to form a unity government with Fatah.
The foreign ministers of the EU member nations are set to pressure both the Hamas and Fatah factions to enter peace talks with Israel as soon as the new unity government is in place, according to the Associated Press.