|
http://www.maannews.net Islamic Jihad will 'not oppose' reconciliation BETHLEHEM (Ma’an) -- Secretary-general of the Islamic Jihad movement said Monday that the group will not oppose any aspect of reconciliation agreed upon between Fatah and Hamas. "If both rivals reach agreement, we will not oppose any step related to the government as long as our solid principles are not interfered with," Ramadan Abdullah Shallah told Ma'an. The senior Islamic Jihad member said that the groups' participation in the PLO is still dependent on further internal meetings to discuss the organizations restructuring. "What kind of PLO do we want? Does it represent a national liberation movement, an authority, a state or what?" he said. "Without a clear and open answer to this question, we have a big problem. We are a major faction in the Palestinian arena and we must be part of the dialogue asking questions and taking part in the search for answers." The ongoing disagreement between Hamas and Fatah is due to contrasting agendas, interests and calculations by both sides, Shallah said, adding that Islamic Jihad sought to bridge the gap between rivals. "Each side has its defense and pretexts, but the loser is our people because its interests are being ignored and nobody is paying attention to the challenges occupation imposes, especially in Jerusalem," he said. Speaking on Syria, the senior Islamic Jihad member said "as Palestinians we move away from internal affairs of any Arab state, including Syria."
|