HAMAS CALL FOR "NEW PLO" ANGERS PLO, FATAH

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 JERUSALEM 000215

SIPDIS

NEA FOR FRONT OFFICE AND IPA. NSC FOR SHAPIRO/PASCUAL

E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/22/2024
TAGS: KWBG PGOV PREL PTER PHUM KPAL IS
SUBJECT: HAMAS CALL FOR "NEW PLO" ANGERS PLO, FATAH
OFFICIALS

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


1. (C) Summary. Fatah and PLO contacts responded angrily to
Hamas Political Bureau Chief Khaled Mesha'al's January 28
call for the formation of a new Palestinian organization to
replace the PLO. Mesha'al said in a televised speech that
the PLO does not represent "resistance" factions and has lost
its legitimacy. According to Fatah and PLO contacts, Hamas
has been courting Palestinian factions for several months
about forming a new organization. Fatah Central Committee
(FCC) member Faruq Qaddumi has been discussing this idea with
Hamas, but has failed to bring on board other FCC members.
PLO and Fatah officials said Hamas is undermining efforts to
achieve Palestinian reconciliation and wants to wrest control
of the Palestinian agenda from Fatah. End Summary.

HAMAS CALLS FOR A NEW PALESTINIAN REPRESENTATIVE BODY
-------------- --------------


2. (U) In a January 28 speech delivered in Qatar, Hamas
Political Bureau Chief Khaled Mesha'al called for the
creation of a new organization to replace the PLO and
represent all Palestinians. Mesha'al said the PLO has played
a divisive role and does not represent all Palestinians,
particularly factions such as Hamas that reject negotiations
with Israel. He said the new organization would be open to
all Palestinian factions and would adopt a charter based on
Palestinian goals, not foreign agendas. Internal Palestinian
reconciliation, Mesha'al said, was undermined by the PA's
"politically motivated" arrests in the West Bank, suppression
of Hamas institutions, and coordination with the GoI.
Beirut-based Hamas Political Bureau member Usama Hamdan said
publicly that Mesha'al's announcement addresses the urgent
need for new Palestinian leadership.


HAMAS SEEKING SUPPORT OF REJECTIONIST
FACTIONS AND QADDUMI FOR "NEW PLO"
--------------


3. (C) Yusuf Nasri, assistant to FCC member Hani al-Hasan,
and Fatah representative to the Palestinian National Council
(PNC) Nasser Nawfal separately told PolSpec January 29 that
Hamas has been discussing a new Palestinian representative
body for several months with various factions, including PIJ,
the National Struggle Front, al-Saeqa, PFLP-GC, and Fatah
al-Intifada. Nasri and Nawfal said Faruq Qaddumi (both Head
of the PLO Political Department and FCC Secretary General)
became involved as his relationship with President Abbas
worsened. They said Qaddumi offered financial and political
support to other FCC members outside the West Bank/Gaza if
they would support the new organization, but none accepted.
They added that Qaddumi wants Fatah to take the lead in any
effort to develop new leadership bodies.


4. (C) Nasri and Nawfal said Abbas' failure to reform and
unite Fatah, combined with the failure of permanent status
negotiations, has eroded Abbas' political capital and left
Fatah vulnerable to the rise of a new organization. They
said no date has been set for the creation of the new body,
but Hamas is setting the agenda and other factions will fall
in line.

FATAH AND PLO LEADERS CRITICIZE
EFFORT TO UNDERMINE PLO
--------------


5. (C) PLO Executive Committee (PLO-EC) Secretary General
Yaser Abed Rabbo responded publicly to Mesha'al's speech. He
said that Hamas is part of a regional conspiracy involving
Iran, Syria, and Qatar to overthrow the PLO as the sole,
legitimate representative of the Palestinian people, and that
Hamas's plan for a new organization is consistent with its
2007 coup in Gaza. Privately, he told the Consul General
January 29 that Hamas' efforts are not receiving popular
support, and he believes the PLO retains legitimacy. The
PLO-EC called on factions within the territories to
demonstrate against Hamas's plan.


6. (C) Head of the Fatah PLC bloc Azzam al-Ahmad said that
Mesha'al's speech revealed Hamas's intentions to take control
of the Palestinian cause, but that Hamas and its supporters
are not strong enough to replace the PLO. He said the new
plan is an obstacle to Palestinian reconciliation. Fatah is
working to include factions like Hamas and PIJ in the PLO, he
said, while Hamas and PIJ are working to undermine it.


7. (C) People's Party representative Bassam al-Salhi
described Mesha'al's speech as "an escalation" and "rash."

JERUSALEM 00000215 002 OF 002


He said Mesha'al should have used his speech to move toward
reconciliation, but instead only exposed Hamas's
long-standing goal of replacing the PLO regardless of
Palestinian people's needs. He criticized Mesha'al for
taking action that could divide Palestinians.


8. (C) Comment: Mesha'al's announcement of a new
Palestinian representative body may be tactical move to
improve Hamas' position in a national dialogue, especially on
PLO reform. However, if that fails or national dialogue does
not progress, Hamas may move forward to establish a new body.

WALLES