EU restores full ties with Palestinian authority
CAIRO: Egypt moved its embassy from Gaza to Ramallah in the West Bank Tuesday in a clear sign of its support for Palestinian President and Fatah leader Mahmoud Abbas and his newly formed emergency government.
Arab allies of the United States, led by Egypt, Saudi Arabia and Jordan have pledged their support for Abbas and his new government ever since the Hamas-Fatah clashes saw Hamas take over the Gaza Strip, while Fatah maintained control over the West Bank.
Foreign Minister Ahmed Aboul Gheit wished “Prime Minister Salam Fayyad and members of his cabinet success in the tremendous responsibility they shoulder in these critical times in the Palestinian territories.
He urged all Palestinian factions to support the interim government and respect the unity of Palestinian institutions to protect the interests of the Palestinian people.
These countries fear Gaza turning into an Islamist haven under Hamas, who observers claim, is controlled by Iran. There are also Egyptian fears that violence might spill over the border it shares with Gaza.
“This is a national security issue for Egypt, Diaa Rashwan from Al Ahram Center for Political and Strategic Studies previously told The Daily Star Egypt.
Saudi Foreign Minister Saud Al-Faisal told CNN that the Arab League stands firmly with the president and with the legality of the emergency government. He also called on Hamas to return to the fold of the Arab-brokered Mecca agreement.
Secretary General of the Arab League, Amr Moussa stated that Abbas was the legal authority for “every Palestinian, not just the West Bank.
The EU has resumed normal relations with the Palestinian Authority effective immediately and will re-establish European projects involving the Palestinian territories.
The Council of the European Union convened Tuesday and the decision was taken to pour support behind the newly formed emergency government in the form of aid and security provisions.
Additionally, the Council condemned “in the strongest possible terms the violent coup perpetrated by Hamas militias, in particular attacks against and the destruction of the legitimate security services of the Palestinian Authority, the summary execution of many of its members, the attacks against hospitals and the cruel treatment of captives, in its conclusions, according to the Press and Information Officer at the Delegation of the European Commission in Egypt.
The European package will include direct financial assistance to the emergency government formed by Abbas after clashes between Fatah and Hamas led to the fall of the national unity government.
After clashes led to the death of 100 people in less than a week, Salam Fayyad was appointed Prime Minister as well as Foreign and Finance Minister by Abbas. The Interior Ministry, which caused the downfall of the Fatah-Hamas unity government, will be run by Abdel Razaq El-Yahia.
The EU will also resume its border assistance mission in Rafah (Eubam), which has been closed since the Gaza Strip fell to Hamas. It will support the Palestinian Civilian Police through the resumption of Eupol Copps.
The EU unequivocally expressed its support for Abbas and his decision to implement an emergency government. However, they vowed not to abandon the people of Gaza, and “would do its utmost to ensure the provision of emergency and humanitarian assistance to the population.
The reason why Fatah is hugely supported by the international community according to professor of political science at the American University in Cairo Waleed Kazziha is because “it is more subject to pressure from the US, Israel and the Arabs.
He told The Daily Star Egypt, “The international community and Arab world feel that what happened in Gaza has two sets of repercussions. First, it weakens the Palestinian camp and the Arab initiative for peace that the Arabs are trying to market; and second, everybody is worried about a political movement with religious overtones.
