Jordan Times
Tuesday, April 14, 1998
Ensour: Palestinians should end dispute, Jordan will
not mediate
By Tareq Ayyoub
AMMAN — Jordan urged the Palestinian National Authority
(PNA) and the Islamic Resistance Movement, Hamas, to resolve
their dispute triggered by the killing of a leading Hamas leader
in the West Bank.
“We call upon the two sides to put a side their differences
and unify their ranks,” Deputy Prime Minister Abdullah
Ensour told reporters.
Dr. Ensour was responding to reporter’s question regarding
the war of words between the PNA and Hamas over the assassination
of the group’s top military leader Moheiddine Sharif on
March 29.
Hamas rejected the PNA’s claim that Sharif, who headed the
Izzedine Qassam Brigades, was killed as a result of an internal
dispute between several Hamas leaders in the self-rule areas.
News agency reported that Palestinian President Yasser Arafat
dispatched an envoy to meet with Hamas leader Sheikh Ahmad
Yassin, who is currently in Saudi Arabia.
Emad Falouji, minister of telecommunication in the PNA, met with
Sheikh Yassin, the group’s politburo chief Khaled
Misha’al and Mousa Abu Marzouq, the agencies reported.
However, Dr. Ensour said that the Kingdom will not allow it self
to take part in the “internal strife” between the PNA
and Hamas and as such will not assume the role of mediator.
“It is an internal issue between the two sides and we have
no right to interfere in their affairs,” Dr. Ensour added.
“It is not time for internal strifes because the situation
is very, very delicate... We advise both parties to put aside
their differences and come together for their common cause,”
Dr. Ensour said.
The minister said that the Kingdom will not mediate between the
two sides “because we were not asked and we are not part of
it.”
Sheikh Yassin is expected to arrive here later this week
following a tour that will take him to several Gulf Arab states.