Leaders of the Palestinian private sector on Tuesday called on Hamas and other political parties to set up a government of national unity that would formulate its own plan for peace with Israel.
The unprecedented entry of the business community into the political debate reflected the growing economic crisis in the Palestinian territories where more than 150,000 public employees this week went unpaid for a second month because of a suspension of international aid to the Hamas government.
The heads of Paltrade, the trade promotion agency, and of the Palestinian industry and business associations were among business leaders who launched the appeal in Ramallah on Tuesday after talks with Mahmoud Abbas, the Palestinian Authority’s Fatah president, and Hamas representatives.
They called for the establishment of a unity government of all factions that would accept the Arab League peace plan of 2002 and the basic principles of the Palestinian national movement. The 2002 plan, framed by Saudi Arabia, calls for recognition of Israel by Arab states in return for Israel’s withdrawal from all territory occupied in 1967.
Hamas is already under pressure internationally to endorse the Arab plan, which would in effect amount to its tacit recognition of Israel. Israel has halted the transfer of tax payments due to the Palestinians, and international donors have suspended direct aid, until the Islamic movement recognises Israel and abandons violence.
‘Hamas have not rejected our initiative,’ said Munib al-Masri, chairman of Padeco, the largest Palestinian trading company. ‘I believe the chances are good it will succeed.’ There was no immediate official response from the Hamas-led government.
The business leaders favour a government of technocrats that would have the backing of Mr Abbas’s defeated Fatah party. Fatah rejected Hamas’s appeals, following its victory in January’s general elections, to join a unity government, partly because the Islamists declined to endorse existing agreements with Israel.
Mazen Sinakrot, a businessman and former economy minister, said Palestinians rejected the international community’s decision to switch from direct development assistance to humanitarian aid following the Hamas victory. ‘This is not Somalia,’ he said.
Business leaders are concerned that the international boycott is not only lowering purchasing power by denying salaries to state employees, but that the potential use of anti-terror legislation against local and foreign banks will halt the transfer of funds to and from the territories.