Abbas asks Arab MKs to mediate between Fatah, Hamas

Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas has suggested that Arab members of Knesset help mediate a reconciliation between the Fatah and Hamas movements, Israel Radio reported Sunday.

Abbas made the suggestion during a meeting on Saturday in Ramallah with leaders of Israel’s Arab sector, including Knesset members and local community leaders.

Hamas and Fatah agreed last month to hold municipal elections in both the Gaza Strip and the West Bank in October, for the first time in 11 years.

The Hamas terror group has ruled Gaza since a bloody coup saw it oust Abbas’s Fatah party from the coastal territory in 2007. The two groups agreed on a unity deal in April 2014 that was supposed to lead to a technocratic government taking over administration of both Gaza and the West Bank. However, Hamas never accepted relinquishing its authority in Gaza, and the two sides remain at loggerheads.

Abbas also said at the Saturday meeting that Israel’s Arab residents could serve as a bridge for peace between Israelis and Palestinians. “We need to reach every Israeli and show them that we really want peace,” he said.

Recent months have seen renewed peace initiatives by both France and Egypt. The Palestinians have welcomed the French bid but Israel strongly opposes the initiative. Meanwhile Israel has expressed keen interest in the regional push led by Egypt, but Palestinians have shown far less enthusiasm.

Abbas on Saturday explained his reluctance to accept Cairo efforts, saying he did not wish to facilitate a normalization of ties between Israel and Arab nations before the Palestinian problem is addressed.