Israel is stepping up its international campaign against the planned Palestinian Authority coalition government. Israeli officials said Thursday that, with the governing Palestinian Authority faction Hamas and the relatively moderate Fatah expected to announce their new unity Cabinet within days, Israel would try to prevent its acceptance abroad. Hamas has rejected the demands of the “Quartet” of foreign peace mediators that it recognize Israel and renounce terrorism as preconditions for renewed engagement. Its power-sharing deal with Fatah, signed last month, contains only a vague reference to “respecting” past Israeli-Palestinian accords, and Hamas leaders have vowed to continue “resistance” until Israel gives up the West Bank and eastern Jerusalem and grants Palestinian refugees a “right of return” to its territory. Those conditions have been ruled out by Israel.
The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
