Abbas threatens referendum over two-state solution

The surprise move, designed to overcome Hamas resistance to recognising Israel, stunned a conference of all the Palestinian factions and is easily the most notable seizure of the political and diplomatic initiative by the frequently beleaguered President since he took office 15 months ago.

The referendum pledge came at the end of a speech in which he issued an impassioned warning to delegates, including the most senior members of the Hamas cabinet running the Palestinian Authority, that Arab states could not advance a negotiated settlement if the Palestinians themselves "are rejecting everything".

Mr Abbas's uncharacteristically flamboyant stroke confronts Hamas, which is doctrinally committed to the elimination of Israel, with a choice between signing in advance of negotiations to a two-state deal based on the pre-occupation 1967 borders or having the decision taken out of their hands by a Palestinian plebiscite, which Mr Abbas would call in July.

But by using the tactic to try to undermine Israel's argument that there is " no partner" for peace talks, Mr Abbas also threatens to cast doubt on the unilateralist strategy of the Israeli Prime Minister, Ehud Olmert, in withdrawing from parts of the West Bank while annexing others rather than relying on a negotiating process to fix Israel's borders.

Mr Olmert promised President George Bush in Washington this week that he would first pursue negotiations with Mr Abbas as a quid pro quo for the unexpectedly warm, if conditional, support proffered by the Mr Bush for his unilateral plan. But aides to Mr Olmert predicted such negotiations would fail in what they saw as the likely event that Hamas would stand by its refusal to recognise Israel or renounce armed "resistance" to the occupation.

Mr Abbas has seized the opportunity afforded by a document drawn up this month in the Israeli prison of Hadarim by Marwan Barghouti, and Hamas fellow inmates. Barghouti, a widely respected one-time Fatah rival for the presidency, is calling for a Palestinian state in the West Bank and Gaza with east Jerusalem as its capital.

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http://news.independent.co.uk/world/middle_east/article601332.ece