MGGZ01: FACTIONS CONDEMN HAMAS ARRESTS, REFUSE TO

C O N F I D E N T I A L JERUSALEM 002766


OPS CENTER: PLEASE PASS TO SECRETARY'S PARTY
NEA FOR FRONT OFFICE; NSC FOR ABRAMS/DORAN/LOGERFO;

E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/29/2016
TAGS: PGOV KPAL KWBG IS
SUBJECT: MGGZ01: FACTIONS CONDEMN HAMAS ARRESTS, REFUSE TO
CHANGE GOVERNMENT

REF: JERUSALEM 2749

Classified By: Consul General Jake Walles, per reasons 1.4 (b) and (d)


1. (C) SUMMARY: A full day after the June 29 arrest of
approximately 90 Hamas cabinet ministers, Palestinian
Legislative Council (PLC) members, and others, Fatah and
Hamas continue to condemn the Israeli action. Hamas is
reportedly still working out what steps are necessary for the
government to function without the eight arrested cabinet
ministers. The political storm caused by the arrests have
complicated efforts by President Abbas to create a new
government. END SUMMARY.

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FATAH RESPONDS TO THE ARRESTS
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2. (C) Fatah spokespersons continue to condemn the June 29
Israeli arrests of Hamas cabinet ministers and PLC members
(reftel). However the head of the Fatah PLC bloc, Azam
al-Ahmad, generated controversy when he suggested that
President Abbas should use his constitutional powers to
resolve the crisis by filling in the vacant Hamas ministerial
positions with officials from the Palestinian Liberation
Organization (PLO). (NOTE: 8 Hamas Ministers out of a total
cabinet of 24, were arrested. Article 81 of the Palestinian
Basic Law states that the Government shall be considered to
have resigned and shall be re-formed in the case of "any
addition, change, vacancy, or removal that involves at least
one-third of the Council of Ministers." END NOTE.)
Al-Ahmad's remarks were criticized by Hamas as well as other
Fatah members who stated that Israel did not have the right
to overthrow an elected government. Speaking to ConGen
political specialist on June 30, al-Ahmad claimed the media
misrepresented his remarks, and that he was not talking about
forming a new government.

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HAMAS RESPONSE
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3. (C) Hamas rejected any suggestion that a new government
be formed. The movement issued a statement on June 29
condemning al-Ahmad's reported remarks and saying that any
cabinet formed as a result of the Israeli arrests would be "a
collaborator government mounted on Israeli tanks." Yousef
Rizqa, the Palestinian Authority (PA) Minister of
Information, told the press that the PA would take a series
of steps to fill the gaps left by the arrested ministers.
Fatah sources told ConGen political specialist that these
steps would include having senior undersecretaries and
directors general close to Hamas fill in for the missing
ministers, and having some ministers cover others' portfolios
(reftel). The sources stressed, however, that no final
decisions have been made yet.

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ABU MAZEN'S STEPS
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4. (C) Nabil Abu Rudeineh, the President's Media Advisor,
informed ConGen political specialist that President Abbas
created an ad hoc crisis management committee to deal with
the arrests and Israeli incursion into Gaza. The committee,
consisting of Fatah, Hamas, and smaller PLO factions, will
serve as a coordination--not decision-making--body. The
sources said that the committee would meet on a daily basis
for briefings, and would perhaps be consulted if the
President had to make any decisions. They denied, however,
that Abu Mazen is contemplating the creation of a new
cabinet.

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COMMENT
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5. (C) Even if Abu Mazen wishes to use the current situation
to introduce an emergency cabinet, he would be hard pressed
to win popular support at this time after the arrests in the
West Bank. In the short term, all Palestinian factions have
rallied in support of the arrested Hamas officials, in effect
making them a sub-group of the larger prisoner issue. While
Abu Mazen remains committed to the goal of a PA government
that meets Quartet requirements, the current crisis that
began with the kidnapping of an IDF soldier and led to the
arrests has frozen the Palestinian political scene and made
it more difficult for Abu Mazen to effect a change in
government.

WALLES