Prisoners’ Document

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In the spring of 2006, in the face of enormous tensions between Fatah and Hamas factions in the PA, a coalition of Palestinian prisioners in Israeli prisoners, led by Marwan Barghouti, who was joined by representatives of several groups, drafted a proposal that was supposed to bring factions together and serve as the basis for negotiating a unity government.

In June 2006, PA president Mahmoud Abbas, on behalf of Fatah, agreed to adjustments in the original document to accomodate Hamas, and signed it with PA prime minister Haniyeh representing Hamas.

The document, which was envisioned as the basis for negotiations for a unity government:

[] Calls for a Palestinian state to be established on all lands taken by Israel in 1967, with Jerusalem as its capital, but does not explictly recognize Israel’s right to exist.  It gives the facile impression of recognizing Israel, because it speaks about the Palestinian state to be established on lands outside the pre-’67 lines, but it never speaks specifically about what will be inside those lines.

[] Condones terrorism (referred to as “resistance by any means”) even within Green Line Israel.

[] Calls for the refugees right to return to Israel.

[] Does not acknowledge an end to hositilities as part of the establishment of a Palestinian state. That is, it leaves the door open to further attacks on Israel in the future.

After the signing Hamas officials rushed to make it clear that that had not acknowledged Israel’s right to exist or changed their policy.