Hamas rejects Abbas’ referendum plan

The Foreign Minister of the Hamas-led Palestinian government rejected a national referendum President Mahmoud Abbas threatened to call unless Hamas changes its policy towards Israel, BBC reported.

Mahmoud Zahar said the vote on a two-state solution would be a waste of time and money, insisting that the cash-strapped Palestinian Authority has no funds to hold it.

"We are not afraid of a referendum but it's a waste of time and money,” Zahar said during a visit to Malaysia for a meeting of the Non-Aligned Movement.

“Nobody can trust Israel. Nobody will recognize Israel, there is no need for a referendum," he added.

Correspondents say Zahar’s comments are the clearest rejection of Abbas’ referendum, underlining the divisions between the Fatah faction and Hamas, which came to power after winning Palestinian parliamentary elections in January.

Earlier Thursday, Zahar left a meeting in protest at the presence senior Fatah official, Farouk Kaddoumi, who presented himself as the head of the Palestinian delegation and said that he plans to “train” Zahar in diplomacy.

"I can't stand side by side with a man who is not representing the Palestinian government. He is playing a dirty game," Zahhar said.

“Unrealistic”

Last week, President Abbas gave Hamas 10 days to endorse a proposal on the borders of a Palestinian state that implicitly recognizes Israel or face a national referendum on the issue.

Israel hasn’t responded to the plan, which was devised by top Palestinian leaders currently in Israeli prisons, and has vowed to unilaterally set its borders.

Zahar also described Abbas’ plan, which calls for the creation of a Palestinian state alongside Israel and for Israel to withdraw from territories captured in the 1967 war, as “unrealistic”.

"He (Abbas) believes in political methods which, from our point of view, will be unable to be implemented. It's unrealistic," Zahar said.

Zahar also dismissed international demands for Hamas to recognize Israel.

"What type of moderate system would America like? To accept the occupation of our land and annexation of Jerusalem?" he said.

The U.S. and EU cut off direct aid to the Palestinians to pressure Hamas to recognize Israel and give up anti-Israeli attacks. Israel also suspended customs and tax revenues to the Palestinian Authority, making it unable to pay civil servants' salaries for the past two months.

To solve the financial crisis, Zahar proposed that every Muslim in the world donate $1 "so we can raise $1.3 billion per year."

He said the donations could be deposited in the Arab League's accounts and "we will find a way to bring the money to our people."

Many banks have refused to transfer funds to the Hamas-led Palestinian government because of intense U.S. pressure.