Fatah, Hamas agree on candidate for Pali prime minister

posted at 2:35 pm on November 13, 2006 by Allahpundit

It’s Mohammed Shabir, former president of Islamic University and holder of a doctorate in microbiology from the University of West Virginia. Go Mountaineers!

He’s not a member of either party, which makes observers hopeful he’ll be able to bridge the divide between Fatah, which wants to destroy Israel and bomb America, and Hamas, which wants to bomb America and destroy Israel. From Haaretz:

Shabir told Haaretz that he has no problem with any party, including the United States, but would only be willing to address his views on Israel after he was officially named to the post.

“I will make my position clear after the appointment,” he said, but added that he would act “realistically.”…

Palestinian sources emphasized that the entire enterprise of putting together a cabinet of technocrats still depends on the U.S. willingness of the to lift the economic sanctions placed on the PA, as well as on Israel’s readiness to release the imprisoned Hamas cabinet ministers and MPs as part of a comprehensive deal for the release of abducted Israel Defense Forces soldier Gilad Shalit.

The sources said that Hamas is conditioning its agreement on these measures, and added that the Americans have agreed in principle to Shubair’s appointment as premier.

The pickings on Google are surprisingly slim for this guy. Not sure if that’s a good sign or bad.

Meanwhile, Ahmadinejad said this morning that Israel would “soon” be destroyed. The UN Human Rights Council responded by calling an emergency session for Wednesday — to condemn Israel for having accidentally killed civilians in Beit Hanoun.

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But what is his position on gay marriage?

Attila (Pillage Idiot) on November 13, 2006 at 2:39 PM

I hope they work out their differences and decide who goes first. America or Israel. Best of luck to them!

lorien1973 on November 13, 2006 at 2:39 PM

I was hoping Fatah and Hamas would continue fighting each other to the last man and until both were dead. But alas, no such luck. I also hope we don’t resume aid to the PA, but we probably will.

CP on November 13, 2006 at 2:49 PM

You may not know this, but “Shabir” is Arabic for “Souter”.

see-dubya on November 13, 2006 at 2:50 PM

I thought it meant Murtha.

Attila (Pillage Idiot) on November 13, 2006 at 2:53 PM

Ooh! A new storefront! Wow!

Too bad it’s fronting the same old store…

heldmyw on November 13, 2006 at 3:03 PM

Fatah, Hamas agree on candidate for Pali prime minister

…. Who? All the Democrats already have new jobs. ZING!

RightWinged on November 13, 2006 at 5:36 PM

Hi, I’m running for PM. I’ll let you know where I stand on the issues after I’m appointed. Suffice it to say, I’m a soft-spoken technocrat and my views are realistic. I also like everybody. Please agree to the concessions for my appointment. Trust me, I’m worth it. Did I mention I’m a technocrat?

Shabir was president of Gaza’s Islamic University, a Hamas stronghold, for 15 years before retiring last year. In the high-profile position, he maintained good relations with Hamas.

Many senior Hamas officials worked or taught at the university, including the current prime minister, Ismail Haniyeh, who was Shabir’s chief of staff. While believed to be sympathetic to Hamas, Shabir is not known to be a member.

Shabir also enjoys a good relationship with Fatah. When longtime Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat was alive, Shabir was a frequent visitor. He also maintains contact with Arafat’s successor, Abbas.

Officials say the so-called technocrat government would take a vague position toward Israel and focus on internal Palestinian affairs, while allowing Abbas to pursue peace talks with Israel. Abbas was elected in a separate presidential vote last year.

It seems the technocrats are intended to unite and stop the violence between Fatah and Hamas, not with Israel. I sure hope Hamas does not compromise their forthrightness in the struggle for foreign aid.

Kevin on November 14, 2006 at 6:18 PM