Abbas issues Hamas with ultimatum

[Rhiannon12866]

Staff and agencies
Thursday May 25, 2006

The Palestinian president made a dramatic bid today to end increasingly violent divisions with the militant Hamas group, saying he will call a referendum on the future borders of a Palestinian state if no deal is reached within 10 days.

The ultimatum appeared intended to push Hamas - which refuses to recognise Israel even after winning the general election in January - into moderating its stance.

Mahmoud Abbas's initiative followed a meeting in the West Bank between leaders of Hamas and the Fatah party, headed by Mr Abbas, who was elected separately last year.

Tensions between the two sides have turned violent this month, with nine people killed in clashes between armed members of Hamas and Palestinian security forces controlled by Fatah. The fighting has sparked fears of civil war.

Although Hamas has softened its position slightly since being elected, it has refused to explicitly give up its demand for an Islamic state taking in all of historic Palestine.

Mr Abbas warned today that if no deal was reached, he would ask the Palestinian people to vote on a five-page document which outlines a Palestinian state in the West Bank, Gaza and east Jerusalem.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/israel/Story/0,,1782880,00.html

[IronLionZion]

1. Well, no deal will be reached

So it will go to referendum. This is the democratic way to do it. Hamas can avoid bowing to western pressure because "it's the will of the people".