Hamas cabinet members put their hands on a copy of the Muslim holy
book, the Koran, and swore to be loyal to the "homeland and its holy
places," as they took the oath of office. Of the 24 cabinet members, 14
have served time in Israeli jails.
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas presided over the ceremony in the
Gaza Strip where Hamas Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh, Foreign Minister
Mahmoud Zahar, and other leading members of the cabinet reside. Because of
Israeli travel restrictions on Hamas leaders, other cabinet members were
sworn in by a video link from the West Bank
city of Ramallah.
At a news conference, following the swearing-in ceremony, Prime
Minister Haniyeh pledged to support any peace initiatives that President
Abbas pursues as head of the Palestine Liberation Organization.
Haniyeh says Hamas will support any negotiations that President Abbas
undertakes to ease tensions in the region and that his government will
study any peace initiatives that follow what he describes as "Palestinian
principles."
In brief remarks following Haniyeh, President Abbas said many
differences remain between his positions and Hamas, and that Hamas knows
"what is required of it, including in its dealings with Israel."
The swearing-in ceremony came two months after Hamas won Palestinian
Parliamentary elections on January 25, winning 74 seats in the 132-seat
Palestinian Legislative Council, soundly defeating President Abbas' Fatah
Party.
Since then the group, which is labeled a terrorist organization by the
United States, Israel, and the European Union, has stubbornly refused to
budge from its position of not recognizing
Israel.
Israel has put in place measures to cut off the transfer of about $50
million a month in tax and customs revenue it normally turns over to the
Palestinian Authority.
The European Union has pledged to continue humanitarian aid, but also
says it will not work with a Hamas-dominated Palestinian Authority. The
United States has ordered its diplomats and contractors to stop all
contacts with the Palestinian Authority.
Samir Abdullah is the director of the independent Economic Studies
Institute in Ramallah. He says he believes if international donors go
through with their plans to cut financial assistance to the Palestinian
Authority, Hamas could be strengthened.
"This is a wrong approach," he said. "If the Hamas government
fails as a result of this pressure no one will blame it. Believe me if it
fails and we have a collapse and a bankruptcy in the budget and the
president asks for a new election, Hamas will get even more votes than it
got a few months ago.
The Hamas Cabinet was installed a day after
Israelis voted in national elections to give Interim Prime Minister Ehud
Olmert's Kadima Party the mandate he says he wants to draw Israel's final
border with the Palestinians. The plan involves withdrawing from most West
Bank settlements, but keeping large settlement blocs and demarcating Israel's border along the controversial
West Bank separation barrier.
Hamas as well as other Palestinian leaders criticized the plan, saying
it could lead to another cycle of violence in the region. |