From The Australian, February 07, 2007, by Abraham Rabinovich, Jerusalem ...
WARRING Palestinian leaders gathered in Islam's holiest city last night in a last-ditch attempt to find a political formula that will bring them back from the edge of civil war.
Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas and Hamas leader Khalid Meshaal, each accompanied by a large delegation, met behind closed doors in Mecca under the patronage of Saudi king Abdullah.
Both sides expressed optimism that they would arrive at an agreement on a national unity government that would put an end to the escalating violence in the Gaza Strip and enable the international community to resume its funding of the hard-pressed Palestinian Authority.
"It is forbidden to fail," said Mr Meshaal in a television interview in Damascus. "I call on all our brothers to restrain themselves and remember our real battle," a reference to Israel.
A leading Fatah official, Qadura Fares, involved in intensive preliminary contacts with Hamas, said the differences between the two groups had in effect been resolved. "Barring any surprises, they will agree this week on a government of national unity," he said.
According to Israeli press reports, the unity government would be headed by the current Hamas prime minister, Ismail Haniya, but Hamas would give up the built-in cabinet majority it has had since winning parliamentary elections a year ago. The three key posts that Hamas and Fatah had been arguing over for months - finance, interior and foreign - would go to neither party, but rather to respected independent parliamentarians. The unity government would include 10 Hamas and six Fatah members, six independents and four ministers from smaller factions.
A key point to be resolved in Mecca is the new government's position regarding the conflict with Israel. The Quartet of the US, EU, UN and Russia has withheld recognition of the Hamas Government, demanding that it first recognise Israel, renounce violence and accept previous Palestinian agreements with Israel. King Abdullah has reportedly proposed that Hamas declare that it respects signed Palestinian-Israeli agreements, a formulation that it believes could be seen as implying acceptance of the three conditions laid down by the quartet. Israel would probably reject such a reading but it is not clear what the position of the quartet will be.
Hamas has said for a number of years it is ready to enter into a ceasefire with Israel but wishes to retain the option of resuming its struggle for elimination of the Jewish state at a time of its choosing.
The Saudi sponsorship of the Palestinian summit meeting is part of a newly assertive profile the kingdom has assumed in regional affairs, which has included attempts to head off a civil war in Lebanon, support of Sunnis in Iraq and opposition to growing Iranian power. Saudi influence rests on its oil wealth and on its custody of Islam's holiest sites in Mecca and Medina.
Officials in Riyadh have indicated that King Abdullah intends to use both avenues in an attempt to win a Palestinian compromise.
The Palestinians will reportedly be promised $US1 billion ($1.3billion) if they come to an agreement and the leaders will be asked to pledge to keep the agreement in front of the Kaaba, the holy stone in Mecca towards which the Muslim faithful around the world face in their prayers.
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