Palestine sets May 4, 2012 as date for elections; Palestine and Israeli opposition leader held talks in Jordan; Palestine PM opine global and regional politics not ripe for Palestinian statehood
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    • According to reports, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas fixed May 4, 2012 as the date for general elections meant to end a long-standing rift that has left people divided between rival governments in the West Bank and Gaza Strip. The Palestinians have been split since Hamas overran Gaza in 2007. Hamas controls Gaza, while Abbas’ Palestinian Authority governs in the West Bank. The comments followed Abbas’ reconciliation talks in Cairo with Hamas chief Khaled Mishaal aimed at cementing a stalled unity deal signed six months ago.1

    In another development, Palestinian and Israeli officials said that Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and Israeli opposition leader Tzipi Livni met in Amman for talks about the peace process. The Palestinian leader used the talks to stress his support for negotiations. Livni’s Kadima Party issued its own statement on the meeting, saying the Israeli lawmaker had told Abbas to return to negotiations. She also criticised the Palestinian bid for UN membership and warned that reconciliation talks between Abbas’ Fateh movement and Hamas would allow the Islamist group to “impose its agenda”.2

    In other developments, according to Palestinian Prime Minister Salam Fayyad, current political conditions within Israel, the Palestinian territories and across the world were not yet ripe to lead to concrete steps towards a Palestinian state, as leadership in Ramallah eyes a less than certain future. The former International Monetary Fund official said that with the EU preoccupied with the Eurozone crisis, the US nearing presidential elections, and the Arab Spring bringing sweeping change throughout the region, the Palestinian cause has been pushed to the background of policy makers’ concerns.3

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