Palestinian Prime Minister Fayyad resigns

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Palestinian Prime Minister Salam Fayyad says he has submitted his resignation to President Mahmoud Abbas.

Fayyad made the announcement in a statement issued on Saturday.

He says the resignation would take effect after the formation of a Palestinian unity government, but no later than the end of March.

http://haaretz.com/hasen/spages/1069214.html

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1. That's interesting, he was the annointed one not long ago.

I wonder what's up.

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2. Abbas: Fayyad resignation will aid Hamas-Fatah unity talks

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas on Saturday said that the resignation of his prime minister, Salam Fayyad, would aid reconciliation talks between his Fatah and the rival Hamas movement.

"Fayyad's resignation comes to enhance and support the national dialogue to reach a national unity government," Abbas said.

Fayyad submitted his resignation earlier Saturday, a move that could help pave the way for an elusive power-sharing deal between the two factions.

Abbas also said he hoped a transition government could be formed by the end of March, suggesting that power-sharing talks have moved into high gear, following failed attempts in the past.

http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/1069214.html

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3. Perhaps Haniyeh will resign as well

Who will be the PM who emerges from the Palestinian unity government?

Is there a figure whom both Fatah and Hamas can embrace?

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4. A good question. Damn if I know. nt

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5. An ominous sign in the West Bank

Ms Gutman takes a gloomy view of all this. Nevertheless, I think she has the mechanics of it right, this is about forming a unity government, in order to have someone to negotiate with; a necessity I pointed out some time back. That will be no easy task, and she is right that the money is, in part, a lubricant for that process.

Edit: I want to add two things: 1.) AFAIK Hamas has been in favor of a unity government, since they won the election, as long as they get their "proper" place in it, I mean why should they not? and 2.) it has never appeared to me, since Abbas came to "power", that any serious effort was made to bolster "the moderates", lip-service only is what I have seen, so I disagree with her implication there.

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I'm referring to the news on Saturday that Salam Fayyad, prime minister of the Palestinian Authority government, poster boy for those seeking moderate figures in Palestinian leadership, the recipient of scores of swooning profiles by western media, and would-be bringer of desperately-needed budgetary transparency, has resigned his post. Mahmoud Abbas, president of that government, his immediate boss, explained that Fayyad is clearing out in order to "enhance and support the national dialogue to reach a national unity government "

As usual, Abbas is king of the Orwellian formulation. A rough translation of this is "Hamas has my a#* and what Hamas wants, Hamas gets." My friend the Palestinian/Israeli journalist Khaled Abu Toameh, offers slightly more detail: "Fayyad resigned because both Hamas and Fatah did not want him. Fatah has been putting pressure on him to resign because they oppose reforms and transparency... Hamas is opposed to Fayyad because he's backed by the US; they see him as an American puppet."

The New York Times once described Fayyad as "a Texas trained economist who has never fired a gun." He has been fervent about, say, making Palestinian leaders deposit aid money in bank accounts so the world can see what happens to the funds, but ineffectual. Why should Hamas care about this "radical bean counter"? Simple. There's money in the air again.

Hamas rules the Gaza strip with an iron fist. It almost controls the West Bank. (In fact it's only the sporadic and scattered presence of IDF soldiers that has saved the Fatah faction from Hamas' knee-cappings and building tossing.) Still, despite Hamas' tacit control, Fatah leaders who eschew fatigues for business suits are much better at getting aid out of ever credulous international donors. A collection of internationals have announced they have billions to give out to Palestinians -- provided they repeat the right catechisms about respecting Israel's right to exist.

http://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/stephanie_gutmann/blog/200...

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6. U.S. warns it won't recognize PA unity gov't sans Fayyad

The United States will only recognize a future Palestinian unity government if Salem Fayyad is reappointed prime minister, according to a message relayed by Secretary of State Hillary Clinton to European and Arab leaders at last week's donor summit in the Egyptian resort town of Sharm el-Sheikh. The same message was relayed to Hamas by the Norwegian government, in response to the organization's demand that Fatah replaces Fayyad with an independent candidate.

http://haaretz.com/hasen/spages/1069308.html

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7. So I guess this "warning" is being ignored?

Just as an aside, this is great "democracy" isn't it? "We will only recognize you if you appoint the right guy."

I am not skeptical about the idea that this is part of some juvenile machinations to produce some fatuous result, but then I am not a believer either.

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8. White House wants progress despite Fayyad departure

WASHINGTON, March 7 (Reuters) - The White House said on Saturday it expected to see continued progress in Arab-Israeli peace even though Palestinian Prime Minister Salam Fayyad has announced his resignation.

Western-backed Fayyad announced he would step down by the end of March in a move that could help bolster unity talks between the rival Fatah and Hamas factions.

"This government made great strides in providing the transparency, accountability, and security that will be essential to achieving a two-state solution," said White House National Security Council spokesman Mike Hammer.

Earlier this week, U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton met with Fayyad -- the point man in Western-backed reconstruction plans for the Gaza Strip that freeze out the territory's Hamas Islamist rulers -- to deliver a message of support for Abbas' Palestinian Authority.

http://af.reuters.com/article/egyptNews/idAFN0739937720...