Internal Palestinian Politics | The American Task Force on Palestine

Palestinians suffer as key post remains vacant
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Daily Star
by Mohammed Zaatari - June 14, 2011 - 12:00am

Since the retirement of the head of Political Affairs and Refugees at the Interior Ministry, the directorate has stopped all issuing of personal status documents for Palestinian refugees, making it impossible for them to enrol in university or request economic assistance. Although the former director general, Brig. Nicolas Habr, would assign a ministry official to sign documents in his name during his tenure, Habr’s retirement has created a “vacuum.”

Take away Hamas excuses on unity
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The National
(Editorial) June 14, 2011 - 12:00am

Salam Fayyad probably saw it coming. Four years ago, the Palestinian prime minister told The New York Times that he had every intention of de-legitimising the Islamist movement of Hamas. Violence is "not who we are", he said in 2007. "I want to disappoint them." On Sunday, it was Hamas that did the disappointing.

Hamas, Fatah fail to agree on prime minister
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Washington Post
by Joel Greenberg - June 14, 2011 - 12:00am

JERUSALEM – Talks between the Palestinian factions Fatah and Hamas on the composition of a shared government failed Tuesday to produce agreement on a prime minister, and the groups’ top leaders will meet next week in an effort to resolve the dispute, officials from both sides said.

Fatah and Hamas call their top leaders to the rescue
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Los Angeles Times
by Maher Abukhater - (Blog) June 14, 2011 - 12:00am

Unable to agree on who will run the new Palestinian national unity government, the secular Fatah movement and the Islamist Hamas, two bitter rivals for years, decided Tuesday to call their top leaders to the rescue. After a meeting in Cairo to discuss government formation, the two main Palestinian political factions decided that it was time to have the Fatah leader, Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas, and the Hamas leader, Khaled Mishal, to join the next “final and decisive” meeting planned for next Tuesday in Cairo.

Abbas Has No Mandate
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Hudson New York
by Khaled Abu Toameh - (Opinion) June 14, 2011 - 12:00am

It is time that someone in Washington started asking Abbas whether he has a clear mandate from his people to make historic decisions, including signing a peace agreement with Israel. As the Palestinian Authority continues to threaten to ask the United Nations in September to recognize a Palestinian state along the pre-1967 lines, someone needs to ask President Mahmoud Abbas whether he really has a mandate from his people to embark on such a step.

Hamas Rejects Fatah’s Choice for Prime Minister
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Associated Press
June 12, 2011 - 12:00am

GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip (AP) — The Hamas militant group on Sunday rejected the rival Fatah movement's nominee for prime minister, complicating plans to unify the dueling governments in the West Bank and Gaza Strip and jeopardizing international aid for the Palestinians.

Is the Palestinian Authority doing enough to stop honor killings?
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz
by Amira Hass - June 12, 2011 - 12:00am

On May 7, the remains of a woman's body were found in a well, three kilometers from the village of Surif, northwest of Hebron. A quick examination by Palestinian police found that the victim was Ayah Barad'iyya, a 21-year-old English major at Hebron University. Her parents had complained to the police about her disappearance 13 months earlier.

Fatah: Dahlan voted out of party
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ma'an News Agency
June 12, 2011 - 12:00am

BETHLEHEM (Ma'an) -- Fatah on Sunday said it had ousted former party strongman Muhammad Dahlan from the movement over "criminal acts." President Mahmoud Abbas, the chairman of Fatah, has approved the decision of the committee, the Arabic satellite channel Al-Jazeera reported. Details remain scant on the investigation into Dahlan. Fatah affiliates in Gaza, however, said an emergency meeting had been called to "discuss the consequences of the decision of the central committee of freezing the membership of Mohammad Dahlan."

Hamas rejection bodes poorly for unity talks
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Statesman
by Josef Federman - June 12, 2011 - 12:00am

Ceremoniously announced last month, reconciliation between the two rival Palestinian leaderships — the secular Fatah and the Islamist Hamas — hit a serious snag Sunday, another sign that the effort is not going well. In the latest blow, Hamas on Sunday rejected Fatah's proposal that internationally respected economist Salam Fayyad remain prime minister. "Hamas will not agree to grant Salam Fayyad the confidence to run the national unity government," said Salah Bardawil, a Hamas official in the Gaza Strip.

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