HAMAS EMPHASIZING UNITY AND MODERATION; FATAH AND

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