Palestinian reconciliation is illusion

Palestinian Legislative Council second deputy speaker Hassan Khreisheh said Wednesday that talking about Palestinian reconciliation at the present time is a form of illusion despite rounds of talks, smiles, and handshakes as aired on television.

Khreisheh called national reconciliation amid the Palestinian Authority’s political arrests of Hamas’s supporters absurd, giving special attention to the arrest of women and the six hunger strikers who have reached the brink of death demanding their freedom. The talks are a lie to the Palestinians, he added.

“The continued detention confirms that the rounds of reconciliation talks sells the illusion to the Palestinians of the possibility of Palestinian internal reconciliation,” Khreisheh said, assuring that there is no convincing reason for the recent spree of PA arrests, which have begun to target journalists and university lecturers, and women, let alone resistance fighters.

Kheisheh criticized the Palestinian judicial system, which ruled in favor of releasing political prisoners, but security agencies on the street neglect to carry out orders. “Who does the sovereignty belong to?” he asked, calling on judges to quit issuing decisions and return to their homes as long as their decisions are not honored.

The independent lawmaker also assigned part of the blame to Palestinian rights groups which have kept silent throughout the ordeal, saying that condemnation from rights groups outside of the country for the PA’s arrests in the West Bank denounces the local rights groups.

Khreisheh called on PLC MPs to voice out against the dilemma in the West Bank, reminding the politicians of the service they were elected for, to represent the people. He added that the PLC has outlawed arrests over political reasons.