VZCZCXYZ0014
OO RUEHWEB

DE RUEHJM #0458/01 0321600
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
O 011600Z FEB 06
FM AMCONSUL JERUSALEM
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 0075
INFO RUEHXK/ARAB ISRAELI COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RHEHNSC/WHITE HOUSE NSC PRIORITY

C O N F I D E N T I A L JERUSALEM 000458 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
NEA FOR FRONT OFFICE, NSC FOR ABRAMS/DORAN/MUSTAFA 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/01/2016 
TAGS: ASEC IS KDEM KPAL KWBG PBTS PGOV PREL
SUBJECT: HAMAS EMPHASIZING UNITY AND MODERATION; FATAH AND 
PASF FEARFUL 
 
REF: JERUSALEM 00386 
 
¶1. (C) SUMMARY: Hamas leaders inside the West Bank and Gaza 
continue to emphasize unity and moderation in their public 
statements, while the ConGen has received reports that senior 
PASF and Fatah officials are growing increasingly fearful of 
the impending transfer of governmental authority.  Hamas 
leaders Ismail Hanniyah and Khaled Yahya Musa made public 
statements suggesting that Hamas is seeking to form a unity 
or technocratic government.  North Gaza PLC member elect Ataf 
Odwan told the media that Hamas would consider any attempt to 
transfer control of the PA security forces (PASF) to the 
exclusive authority of President Abbas a violation of the 
Basic Law, but indicated that Hamas would not seek to replace 
all the security chiefs with Hamas loyalists. 
Hamas-affiliated PLC member Hasan Khriesheh said the new 
Palestinian Legislative Council (PLC) would meet sometime 
next week to begin forming the new government.  END SUMMARY. 
 
------------------------- 
Hamas Considering Unty or 
Technocratic Government? 
------------------------- 
 
¶2. (SBU) Public statements from senior Hamas leaders in the 
West Bank and Gaza indicate Hamas is seeking to form a unity 
or technocratic government.  Touching on his post-election 
themes of "political partnership" and pluralism, Hamas leader 
Ismail Hanniyah told the Jerusalem Post on January 31 that 
his main goal in forming a government would be preserving 
"national unity" and that he hoped to form a government 
incorporating as many factions as possible, including Fatah. 
Jenin-based PLC member-elect Khaled Yahya Musa told al-Quds 
newspaper on January 29 that Hamas was considering forming a 
government "most of whose members are from outside the PLC." 
Musa emphasized that Hamas was seeking a strong government 
whose members can assume responsibility for the "complex 
conditions" confronting the PA and carry out a comprehensive 
program of reforms.  Musa added that Hamas will discuss the 
composition of new cabinet with President Abbas and the Fatah 
leadership. 
 
--------------- 
Control of PASF 
--------------- 
 
¶3. (SBU) Hamas PLC member-elect Atef Odwan told the media on 
January 31 that Hamas would not give up control of the PASF. 
Citing reports that President Abbas intends to transfer all 
the security services to his direct control, Odwan said Hamas 
would consider this action a violation of the Basic Law 
(reftel).  Odwan said the Hamas-led PLC would focus on 
clarifying the roles and functions of the PASF but that this 
did not necessarily entail replacing all of the security 
chiefs with Hamas loyalists.  "The security apparatuses as 
mandated by law should concentrate on safeguarding the 
security of the Palestinian people against any internal or 
external harm, but unfortunately those security security 
apparatuses were misused in the past and lost their compass," 
said Odwan.  Similarly, Ismail Hanniyah was quoted in a 
February 1 Haaretz article saying, "We don't think Abbas will 
reverse his previous position, which was that the security 
services should be subject to the government and the interior 
minister. If he does reverse himself, we will remind him of 
his previous stance when he was prime minister." 
 
¶4. (C) Separately, Poloff met with mid-level Interior 
Ministry official Ithar Abu Gharbieh who described a chaotic 
scene at PASF offices with distraught security personnel 
rushing to destroy or conceal documents detailing 
coordination with the GOI or intelligence collection 
activities against Hamas officials.  Abu Gharbieh said many 
PASF officials were intensely concerned about the possibility 
of violent reprisals or other forms of retaliation once Hamas 
assumes control of the PA.  Abu Gharbieh recounted rumors of 
Fatah officials moving assets outside the country and PASF 
officials taking extra precautions for their safety. 
 
------------------------ 
New PLC Session Imminent 
------------------------ 
 
¶5. (C) Former Deputy Speaker and independent PLC 
member-elect, Hassan Kriesheh told reporters from al-Ayyam 
newspaper on February 1 that he expected the new PLC to meet 
sometime next week.  During the upcoming special session, the 
current speaker of the PLC Rawhi Fattuh and his deputies will 
announce the resignation of the outgoing PLC members.  The 
new PLC members will be sworn-in and elect a new speaker and 
 
two deputies.  (NOTE: Kriesheh is a front-runner for PLC 
Speaker because of his incumbent status, experience and 
alliance with Hamas.  Earlier predictions of a March 7 
swearing-in date came from Fatah contacts anticipating a more 
leisurely schedule, which Hamas is accelerating.  A new PLC 
is necessary for the formation of a new government.  END NOTE) 
 
------- 
COMMENT 
------- 
 
¶6. (C) Comments from the internal Hamas leadership )- 
especially those such as Hanniyah and Odwan who were elected 
to the PLC )- continue to emphasize moderation and unity. 
Hardliners among the internal leadership, such Mahmud 
al-Zahar, have focused their comments on the party's 
continued adherence to the resistance and unwillingness to 
recognize Israel.  The outside leadership has shown a range 
of views in their public comments, but hardliners such as 
Khaled Mish'al have been the most vocal. 
 
WALLES