MIDDLE EAST: Palestinian prime minister Ismail Haniyeh tried to exploit an apparent US-European schism over how to deal with his Palestinian Authority yesterday when he accused the US of trying to undermine a plan for a Palestinian national unity government, while calling on the EU to take the initiative in lifting crippling sanctions.
"The US administration does not want the Palestinians to be unified," Mr Haniyeh said in Gaza.
"It puts obstacles in the way of this political coming together. It wants to extort the Palestinian people and the Palestinian government." His comments came just hours after Israeli foreign minister Tzipi Livni and US secretary of state Condoleezza Rice, who met in Washington, said their governments would not deal with Hamas as long as it refused to accept conditions outlined by the US, UN, EU and Russia. These include recognition of Israel, a renunciation of violence and readiness to abide by past Israeli-Palestinian accords.
Ms Livni said: "We expect the Palestinian Authority and the future government to meet this requirement fully and completely and we believe that these requirements are not negotiable."
Dr Rice added: "It goes without saying that it's hard to have a partner for peace if you don't accept the right of the other partner to exist."
The Palestinian Authority has been facing an aid embargo by Israel and western countries ever since Hamas set up a government earlier this year after winning parliamentary elections in January.
In an effort to get sanctions lifted, Hamas has agreed to a unity government with the more moderate Fatah party, headed by Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas. US leaders have treated the idea of a Palestinian unity government with scepticism, saying it is too early to determine if sanctions should be eased.