The caretaker government: Bush’s visit is not welcomed

The caretaker government: Bush’s visit is not welcomed

The caretaker government said Wednesday that the visit of US President George Bush to the occupied Palestinian lands is not welcomed because it is aimed at increasing the internal rift in the Palestinian arena, entrenching the American hegemony in the region and helping the Israeli occupation politically at the expense of the Palestinian people”s inalienable rights.


These statements came during the weekly cabinet meeting of the caretaker government headed by premier Ismail Haneyya in which the government discussed a number of issues including the repercussions of Bush”s visit on the Palestinian people.


Following its weekly meeting, Taher Al-Nunu, the spokesman for the caretaker government, stated that this visit was intended to preserve the achievements and results of the Annapolis conference and for putting further pressure on the PA negotiator to give more political concessions on Palestinian rights and constants.


Nunu warned that the talk about any progress means that there are concessions to be made by the PA negotiator, because no one can believe that Bush came to put pressure on the Israeli occupation as US and Israel are two faces of one coin and working for their joint goals.


The spokesman pointed out that the government discussed the “serious crimes” committed by the PA security apparatuses in the West Bank and their security coordination with the Israeli occupation especially the crimes of delivering Hamas leaders and members in the West Bank to the IOF troops, the latest of them were Sheikh Hussein Abu Kuweik and Sheikh Faraj Abu Rummane.


The spokesman called on the PA leadership in Ramallah to return to the arms of the Palestinian people and to stop its security coordination with Israel at the expense of the Palestinian people and their national cause.


The government announced its intentions to provide urgent and emergency assistance to the areas affected by the Israeli aggression on the Gaza Strip.

Masses of Palestinian citizens participated Wednesday in rallies called for and organized by Hamas in condemnation of Bush”s visit to the occupied Palestinian lands, where the protesters chanted anti-Israel slogans and burnt the American flag and pictures for Bush.


After the marches ended, Mushir Al-Masri, the secretary general of Hamas parliamentary bloc, opined that the visit of the US President to the region aims to encourage the PA leadership to continue implementing the security section of the roadmap plan unilaterally and to deepen the internal division as well as to give a green light for the Israeli occupation to escalate its settlement activities and aggressions against the Palestinians.


In a press statement to the Quds Press, Mohamed Nazzal, a member of Hamas political bureau, expressed Wednesday his belief that the visit of the American president to the region is an election propaganda aimed at mobilizing support for the Republican Party against the Democratic Party, warning of its negative repercussions on the Palestinians and the whole region.


In a statement received by the PIC, Khaled Al-Batesh, an Islamic Jihad leader, underscored Wednesday that the goals of the Bush administration and the dream of US secretary of state Condoleezza Rice of creating a new Middle East are based on sectarianism, conflicts and strengthening US”s allies in the region against its opposing forces.


Batesh added that this visit came in order to follow up closely the results of the Annapolis conference at the expense of the Palestinian people”s rights to freedom and independence.