Palestine plans to form transitional government: Ahmad Yousef

Press TV has conducted an interview with Ahmad Yousef, former senior adviser to the Palestinian Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh from Gaza, about Fatah and Hamas striking a deal on ministers in new Palestinian unity government.

What follows is an approximate transcript of the interview.

Press TV: How positive are you at this point going forward? It seems that this reconciliation deal everything seems to be working out.

Yousef: No doubt that it’s still, we’re just waiting for President Abbas to come back from his trip to Venezuela and everything has been and all the meetings that held between Fatah and Hamas and the PLO [Palestine Liberation Organization] was very positive.

Maybe next week, by the end of the next week, the announcement of the new interim government with the list of the minister will be lead this government will be announced.

So, a week ago, there were meetings to discuss all the names that have been chosen, so we are just waiting for Abo Nazem to give his approval to the list and then we’re going to form this transitional government maybe by the end of the next week.

Press TV: When we speak about this transitional government, Mr. Yousef, once that government is formed, how will that change things for Palestinians?

Yousef: Of course many changes will take place. Actually the Egyptians will ease the restriction on the Rafah crossing. They will let the Palestinians to go back and forth. Maybe electricity will be enhanced. There are many things regarding unemployment rate which is very high. Also we will find a way how to recruit many of those people to work in the new government.

So the restriction which has been imposed because of Hamas government actually from the Israeli sanction, from being Gaza under siege, all these things will be removed.

I do believe that a lot of obstacles and hardship that we were facing before unfortunately because the Israeli sanction and because the closure of Rafah crossing and shut down all the tunnels with Egypt. Many of these things will be making things easier for the Palestinians especially after also the Egyptian election … and try both of them to make things easier for the Palestinians.

Press TV: What will change, if anything, towards Israel?

Yousef: Actually I don’t think there is any change. This is a transitional government; they shouldn’t actually handle anything related to politics. Negotiations will still be under the PLO, Abu Mazen, he will handle this if there is any actually positive reaction from the Americans in the way they are going to handle these talks with the Israelis.

Abu Mazen actually will consult with Hamas to see if he should go ahead with this or at least there is going to be, Hamas will reject. Most of the Palestinians until now, with regard to the talks, they are against the talks because it doesn’t sound that the Israelis are ready to strike a deal with the Palestinians regarding the future of the Palestinian state.

I do believe that a lot of the criticisms now against Israelis from the Americas, the Europeans and everybody does believe that the Palestinians they did all the concessions that they were supposed to make, successful talks but unfortunately the Israelis, they do not have any vision for this and they may be not interested actually with this settler right-wing mentality, they are interested to have any peace with the Palestinians.

The Palestinians will continue especially from Hamas refused to recognize … Israel [entity]. This is something, it must but again the talks, they are going to resume the talks, it’s going to be between President Abbas and the Israelis with the consultation with Hamas to see which direction we should take.