RAMALLAH, May 24 (JMCC) - Palestinian President
Mahmoud Abbas, meeting with Jordan's King Abdullah in Amman, defended a unity deal with the Islamist group
Hamas,
reports the Associated Press.
The agreement, which calls for a shared government between rival factions, new elections and Hamas' entry into the
Palestine Liberation Organization, was criticized by US President Barack Obama as he laid out his vision of peace talks between Israelis and Palestinians in a policy speech last week.
Abbas said that there was a misunderstanding of the unity government with Hamas, which controls the Gaza Strip.
“There is a wrong understanding of the government, that it is a power-sharing government between Fatah and Hamas,” he told reporters after talks with Abdullah.
Abbas, who heads the moderate Fatah faction, added: “The government is my government and it follows my strategies and policies.”
He also said the two sides were working to form “a technocratic government.” He did not provide further details.
For his part, Abdullah “affirmed” the national reconciliation agreement, according to the palace statement.
He said the agreement presents a “positive step” toward uniting the Palestinian people and enabling them to regain their “legitimate rights to establish a state.”