Overview

1. In the late morning hours of March 17, 2007, the Palestinian Legislative Council held a vote of confidence for the new national unity government and ratified its establishment, with 83 representatives voting in favor and three against (two from the PFLP, which is not part of the government, and one independent). In the evening the government ministers were sworn in by Abu Mazen , the chairman on the Palestinian Authority, in at a festive ceremony held simultaneously in Gaza and Ramallah by conference call.

A live broadcast of the swearing-in ceremony (Palestinian TV, March 17)

2. In his speech before the Palestinian Legislative Council Abu Mazen appealed to Israel to return to the negotiating table to achieve a “just peace.” He said that the Palestinians extended their hand to peace and coexistence, and promised to act to bring about the release of Gilad Shalit, the abducted Israeli soldier. Ismail Haniya , prime minister of the national unity government, read out the new government's platform, which clearly reflects Hamas's ideology: no recognition of the right of the State of Israel to exist, stubborn adherence to “resistance” (i.e., violence and terrorism) as a “legitimate right” of the Palestinians, and a demand for the implementation of the “right to return” (i.e., the destruction of the State of Israel) .

Ismail Haniya swears allegiance to the Palestinian national unity government
(Palestinian TV, March 17)

The composition of the government

3. There are 25 ministers in the new government (24 with ministries and one without portfolio). Twelve of them belong to or are affiliated with Hamas, six with Fatah, three are independent and four belong to leftist factions. Although most of the ministers are from or affiliated with Hamas, Fatah and the leftist factions have a strong bloc. With the exception of Ismail Haniya, the Hamas representatives are technocrats, some of them previously political unknowns, while Fatah ministers are old political hands, half of whom belong to the Palestinian Legislative Council. For an analysis of the composition of the new government, see Appendix I .

Ismail Haniya (sixth from left) and some of the new ministers (apparently photographed in the Gaza Strip) (Palestine-info Website, March 18)

4. Prominent among the new government ministers are three independents who hold key portfolios, and who have replaced Hamas ministers. Two of them (the foreign and finance ministers) were chosen, in our assessment, because, as opposed to their predecessors, they are acceptable to the international community. For full biographies, see Appendix I .

A. Foreign minister Dr. Ziyad Abu Amro is a native of Gaza , married to an American woman and has American citizenship. He holds a PhD in political science and international relations from Georgetown University and is an independent member of the Palestinian Legislative Council. He is close to Abu Mazen and has served as Mazen's liaison with Hamas.

B. Finance minister Dr. Salam Fayyad is a native of Tulkarm. He is a financial expert and holds a PhD in economics from the University of Texas . He is acceptable to the United States and the international community and has a reputation for being reliable. In previous governments he managed to stabilize the PA's budget to a certain extent and to advance important reforms.

C. Interior minister Dr. Hani Talab al-Qawasmi , whose family comes from Hebron but who was born in Gaza . He served as director of administrative affairs in the previous interior ministry. He is a devout Muslim and has no experience in internal security.

The government's platform

5. A number of changes were made in the draft of the government's platform which was made public at the end of last week. The changes are semantic and intended to make the government's basic position seem less extreme. However, despite the rhetorical acrobatics, in the final analysis the platform does not meet the demands of the Israel and the Quartet , and they reflect the fact that Abu Mazen and Fatah have almost completely accepted Hamas's basic ideology and demands (For a full analysis of the platform, see Appendix II ).

6. Conspicuous are the following:

A. The continuation of violence and terrorism is legitimate : According to its platform, the new Palestinian government will adhere to the “legitimate right” of Palestinians to continue employing “all forms of resistance.” That is, in its platform there is legitimization for the continuation of all forms of terrorism against Israel (including suicide bombing attack within Israel) until all the Palestinians' far-reaching demands have been met. That is in full accord with Hamas's basic preference for terrorism, although it does not reject a temporary lull in the fighting. Thus is can be expected that the Palestinian terrorist organizations, including the Palestinian Islamic Jihad, which is not represented in the Palestinian Legislative Council, will continue attacking Israel (including suicide bombing attacks) under the aegis of the national unity government . ¹

B. The platform of the national unity government does not include recognition of the right of the State of Israel to exist, and no mention is made of the concept of two states for two peoples . ² It does, however, go into minute detail as to the Palestinians' far-reaching demands on Israel and the international community: the release of prisoners, the dismantling of the security fence, the cessation of the earthworks in Jerusalem , the cessation of Israeli security force counterterrorist measures and Israel 's withdrawal from the “Palestinian lands” it conquered. The reworked version of the government's platform, as opposed to the original version, mentions the establishment of a Palestinian state on “the lands conquered in 1967” with Jerusalem as its capital, but it does not state that the establishment of such a state is the final Palestinian demand. A Palestinian or Muslim Arab reader will understand that the arrangement is only temporary, and not a permanent arrangement to end the conflict based on the concept of two states for two peoples.

C. The platform includes adherence to the “right to return” and calls for the implementation of UN General Assembly Resolution 194 (December 1948) regarding the right of the Palestinian refugees to return to their lands and property and to receive reparations. The wording reflects Hamas's position and interpretation of Resolution 194 as the physical return of the refugees to their lands, that is, the destruction of the State of Israel as a homeland for the Jewish people .

D. According to the platform, agreements previously signed by the PLO are to be “honored” but no commitment is made to implement them : The new government “honors” the “legitimate decision” and agreements signed by the PLO (in the spirit of the Mecca Accord). The term used is “ honors ” but strict avoidance of a “ commitment ” to implement them is maintained. In effect, the refusal to recognize the right of the State of Israel to exist (at the foundation of the previous agreements) and the justification for continuing terrorism (through which previous agreements were sabotaged) make the “honoring of agreements” a phrase devoid of meaning.

E. Limiting Abu Mazen's ability to ratify agreements he and the PLO reached with Israel : according to the platform of the new government, Abu Mazen and the PLO have the authority to conduct negotiations for the PA. At the same time, Hamas and its supporters can sabotage any agreement reached. The platform states that any agreement must either be ratified and signed by the “new Palestinian National Council” (which has yet to formed ³) or put to a referendum of Palestinians living within the PA and abroad. (Hamas can make it extremely difficult to hold a referendum in the PA, and it can be assumed that the Palestinian refugees living in the Arab states will oppose any agreement that does not include the “right to return.”)

F. The ratified platform has a section dealing with Jerusalem (apparently because of the developments following the emergency earthworks carried out at the Mugrabim ramp): The new government will confront Israeli policy in Jerusalem , including the issue of the holy places. It will allot funds, encourage the Palestinians living in Jerusalem to take “a firm stance,” and enlist the Arab-Muslim world to support the residents of Jerusalem politically and through the media.

The response of the government of Israel

7. On March 18 the government of Israel met to discuss the Palestinian national unity government and its platform. An examination of the platform showed that “it does not accept the principles of the international community,” therefore “ Israel will not be able to work with the government or any of its ministers.” However, “ Israel will continue to work with Mahmoud Abbas in order to advance issues of security and issues pertaining to improving the quality of life of the Palestinian population.” The government also noted that “ Israel expects the international community to maintain the policy it has taken over the past year of isolating the Palestinian government until it recognizes the three principles of the Quartet.”

Summary and assessment

8. The Palestinian national unity government reflects, first and foremost, Hamas and Fatah's desire (and in fact the desire of the entire Palestinian population) to put an end to the violence and anarchy which increased during the past year and to establish a stable, functioning Palestinian government. To that end Hamas agreed to give up three key government ministries to independents, and to let Fatah have a series of ministries as well, although they are less important. In return Hamas received the stamp of approval from Abu Mazen and Fatah that it had sought since its victory in the January 2006 election. In addition, there is a possibility that the Palestinian government will break out of its isolation (without Hamas's giving up its control of the government and its extremist ideology).

9. In addition to achieving the main goals of internal quiet and an end to the violence and anarchy which plagued the PA for the past year, the Palestinians seek to market the new national unity government to the international community. They hope to have the economic and political embargo lifted, even though the government is influenced by Hamas and its ideology and even though it has not met the demands of the Quartet, central to which are recognition of the right of the State of Israel to exist and the abandoning of terrorism.

10. Their efforts to market the new government have taken various forms : Using convoluted rhetoric in setting out its basic principles, Hamas has tried to camouflage the new government's extremist nature and give the Western countries something to hold on to; they have appointed ministers who are not affiliated with Hamas and who are acceptable to the United States and Europe to important government posts; ⁴ they have warned that if the government did not receive international support the situation was liable to deteriorate and that the PA and the Palestinian economy would collapse; they have enlisted Abu Mazen (who continues to call for peace, coexistence and a renewal of negotiations) to seek international legitimization for the new government and its platform. Initial international reactions (especially from European countries such as Norway , France and Britain ) are likely to reinforce Palestinian expectations that it will be possible to sell the new national unity government, with its extremist principles, to the international community.

11. However, the basic differences of opinion between Fatah and Hamas have not been resolved, and anarchy still exits within the PA. As negotiations for the establishment of the national unity government were being held, there were violent confrontations between Fatah and Hamas (although not widespread) until the last minute (March 17), and signs of anarchy. ⁵Thus it can be seen that the basic tensions between Fatah and Hamas and the difficulties of instituting law and order in Palestinian society still exist . The power struggles between Fatah and Hamas have not been clearly won and it can be expected that the rival sides will continue to seek as great an advantage as possible over one another within the government despite the Mecca Accord and the establishment of the national unity government. A list of controversial issues still remains, such as the future of the Executive Force, control of the security forces and integrating Hamas into the PLO. They will continue as focal points of friction between the two sides and may lead to political tensions and even a renewal of the violence, which will make it difficult for the national unity government to function.

Appendix I

Members of the Palestinian unity government ⁶

Profile of the new Palestinian government

An initial examination of the members of the national unity government shows the following:

•  Organizational affiliation – The new government has 12 members who belong to Hamas or are affiliated with it, Fatah has six, four belong to other factions, particularly leftist ones (the Third Way, Independent Palestine, the Alternative List, the Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine) and three are independent. As it stands, Hamas has a majority, although Fatah and those affiliated with have a strong bloc.

•  Political influence – It is a government of technocrats whose members do not have meaningful political influence within their organizations or a significant foothold with ground operatives. Of the 25 ministers, only six are members of the Palestinian Legislative Council. Seven of the Hamas members were ministers in the previous Hamas government and five are political unknowns. Most of the Fatah ministers are old political hands, some of them from abroad who reached the PA-administered territories only during the 1990s.

•  Education – Most of the members of the new government have a university education. Thirteen hold PhDs in various subjects and three are engineers. Six received their degrees in the United States , five in Europe , five in the Arab states and the rest in the PA-administered territories.

•  Average age – As opposed to the relative young age of the members of the previous government, most of the ministers are between 45 and 55.

•  Imprisonment in Israel – As opposed to the outgoing government, most of whose members had been imprisoned in Israel , only eight of the ministers of the current government were imprisoned. None of the ministers of the previous government who are in Israeli jails was chosen to serve in the national unity government.

•  Place of residence – Ten of the ministers live in the Gaza Strip ( Gaza City , Khan Yunis and Rafah) and 15 live in Judea and Samaria . Two have American citizenship and two have East Jerusalem ID cards.

•  Gender – Two of the members of the new government are women (as opposed to one in the previous government). Both are independent, although one is affiliated with Hamas and the other with Fatah. One, the minister of tourism, is Christian.

•  Full name: Ismail ‘Abd al-Salam Haniya (Abu al-Abd)

•  Origin / place of birth: Born in 1963 in al-Shati refugee camp in the Gaza Strip, his family came from the village of Jura near Ashqelon (the birthplace of Ahmad Yassin).

•  Organizational affiliation: Hamas.

•  Family status: Married, father of 13 children.

•  Education: Haniya completed elementary and middle school at UNRWA schools in al-Shati refugee camp, then graduated from the Al-Azhar religious high school in Gaza . He earned his bachelor's degree in the Department of Arabic Language at the Islamic University in Gaza . During his studies he was active in Islamic student associations.

•  Milestones: Haniya owes his status in the movement to his proximity to Ahmad Yassin. In January 1996 he wanted to run for a seat on the Legislative Council, but withdrew under heavy pressure from the Hamas leadership. In 1997, upon Ahmad Yassin's release from prison, Haniya became his office manager, a role he held until Yassin was killed in a targeted killing in 2004. Haniya undertook organizational activities in the Hamas movement for ten years, until 2000. Through those activities and his closeness to Ahmad Yassin, he climbed to the top echelon of Hamas and was appointed to the movement's political leadership. He headed the Hamas list for the Palestinian Legislative Council and was considered the pragmatist of the Hamas leadership.

•  Detentions by the Israeli security forces: Ismail Haniya was incarcerated in Israeli prisons several times: he was detained for the first time in December 1987 and held for 18 days. The second time he was placed under administrative detention for six months. In May 1989 he was imprisoned in Ketziot Prison for three years. He was released in May 1992 and in December of the same year he was one of the Hamas operatives deported to Marj al-Zuhour in Lebanon .

•  On September 6, 2003, he escaped an attempt on his life while he was with Ahmad Yassin.

•  He headed the Hamas list for the Palestinian Legislative Council elections in January 2006 and headed the Hamas government established in March 2006, serving in office for one year.

Deputy Prime Minister – Azzam al-Ahmad

•  Full name: Azzam Najib Mustafa al-Ahmad .

•  Origin / place of birth: Born in 1947 in Rummana (in the Jenin area).

•  Organizational affiliation: He is a veteran Fatah activist (dating back to the 1960s), member of the Fatah revolutionary council. He is considered a confidant of Abu Mazen.

•  Family status: Married, father of three children.

•  Milestones: Deported from the West Bank in 1969, he moved to Iraq where he served as a PLO ambassador. Elected to the Palestinian Legislative Council in 1969 as a Fatah representative from the Jenin district and was Minister of Communications and Public Works. After the 2006 elections, he was elected to head the Fatah faction of the Legislative Council (after running for office against Muhammad Dahlan).

Finance Minister– Salam Fayyad

•  Full name: Dr. Salam Khaled Abdallah Fayyad.

•  Origin / place of birth: Born in 1952 in Tulkarm.

•  Organizational affiliation: Member of the Palestinian Legislative Council representing the Third Way and serving as chairman of the council's budgetary committee.

•  Family status: Married, father of three children.

•  Education: Expert in financial affairs and holds a PhD in economics from the University of Texas .

•  Milestones: Fayyad has a good reputation and credibility in the international community. He represented the International Monetary Fund in the Palestinian Authority and was a regional manager of the Arab Bank in the Palestinian Authority-administered territories. He served as finance minister and chairman of the board of directors of the Palestinian Investment Fund in the governments of Abu Ala' and Abu Mazen and succeeded in bringing a measure of stability to the Palestinian Authority's budget and promoting significant reforms. In the past year his involvement in politics increased and in December 2006 he was appointed head of the PLO's economic department, with the aim of increasing Abu Mazen's control over the Palestinian aid funds.

Foreign Minister–Ziyad Abu Amro

•  Full name: Dr . Ziyad Muhammad Hussein Abu ‘Amro

•  Origin / place of birth: Born in 1950 in Gaza . Holds American citizenship.

•  Organizational affiliation: Independent. Identified with the national stream .

•  Family status: Married to an American woman, father of three children.

•  Education: Earned a bachelor's degree in English language and literature at Damascus University and was awarded a doctorate in political science and international relations from Georgetown University in the U.S.

•  Milestones: Abu ‘Amro is a confidant of Abu Mazen and serves as his liaison to the factions, primarily Hamas. He was active (with Muhammad Rashid) as middleman for the various factions in all negotiations pertaining to the establishment of the national unity government. He is a member of the foreign relations committee of the Palestinian National Council and the PLO central committee and of the National and Islamic Forces' monitoring committee, and has initiated dialogues between the various Palestinian factions. He was also a member of the first Palestinian Legislative Council (as an independent).

Interior Minister– Hani Talab al-Qawasmi

•  Full name: Dr. Hani Talab 'Abd al-Rahman al-Qawasmi

•  Origin / place of birth: Born in 1958 in Gaza to a family originally from Hebron (one of the city's large clans).

•  Organizational affiliation: Independent, considered religiously orthodox.

•  Family status: Married, father of five children.

•  Education: Graduate of the University of Cairo with a degree in business administration.

•  Milestones: Upon his return to Gaza in 1983, al-Qawasmi worked at an Al-Azhar institute for 10 years. He managed the bureau of civil affairs until 2004. From 2004 on he worked in the office of the chief Shari ' (Islamic religious) justice in the Palestinian Authority. By cabinet resolution, in 2006 he was appointed director general of administrative affairs at the interior ministry, but ratification of his appointment was delayed by Abu Mazen.

Minister of Transportation and Communication –Sa'di Mahmoud al-Karnaz

•  Full name: Dr . Sa'di Mahmoud Suleiman al- Karnaz

•  Origin / place of birth: Born in 1958. Lived in al-Brij refugee camp and now lives in al -Nuseirat refugee camp in the Gaza Strip.

•  Organizational affiliation: Veteran member of Fatah.

•  Family status: Married, father of seven children.

•  Education: Doctorate in mathematics, graduate of the University of Indiana in the U.S. (1989).

•  Milestones: Al-Karnaz was o ne of the founders of Al-Azhar University in the Gaza Strip, where he was head of the Department of Statistics and Dean of Students. He taught at the Islamic University in Gaza from 1981 to 1983. He was active in various committees operating during the first Palestinian-Israeli violent confrontation (the first intifada ). In the 1996 elections he was elected to the Palestinian Legislative Council on the Fatah slate, serving as minister of industry from 1998 to 2002; he was minister of transportation in Abu Mazen's government (which lasted 90 days). After Abu Mazen was elected chairman of the Palestinian Authority, he was appointed as his advisor.

•  Positions on the dispute: During his term of office as minister of industry he met with Israelis several times, but he often attacks Israeli policy.

Minister for Prisoner Affairs – Attorney Suleiman Abu Sunaya 

•  Full name: Suleiman Muhammad Musa Abu Sunaya

•  Origin / place of birth: Born in 1945 in Hebron . Lives in East Jerusalem (holds a Jerusalem resident's card) and comes from one of the largest families in Hebron .

•  Organizational affiliation: Fatah activist.

•  Education: Earned a degree in law from Cairo University . Attorney at law.

•  Milestones: Sunaya is a Fatah representative on the Hebron city council. In 1996 he was a member of the Palestinian Legislative Council, after running as a Fatah candidate in Hebron . He was director general of the Palestinian interior ministry in the Hebron area and was a member of the general committee on the Palestinian housing council, the building committee in Hebron and the general supervisory and human rights committee of the Palestinian Legislative Council. He served as Minister of State in the eighth government, headed by Abu Ala '.

•  Detentions by Israel : He was imprisoned for several months between 1985 and 1986.

Minister of Culture and Higher Education –Nasir al-Sha'er

•  Full name: Dr. Nasir al-Din Muhammad Ahmad al-Sha'er

•  Origin / place of birth: Born in 1961 in Sabastia (near Nablus ).

•  Organizational affiliation: Hamas activist. Not a member of the Legislative Council.

•  Family status: Married, father of six children.

•  Education: Completed his BA and MA at Al-Najah University in Nablus . Earned his doctorate at the University of Manchester in Britain , comparing Islam and Judaism in his dissertation, with emphasis on the status of women. He specialized in the theory of comparative Islamic law.

•  Milestones: Between 1985 and 1989 al-Sha'er worked in high school education. From 1989 on, he taught at Al-Najah University . Since 2001 he has been dean of the Department of Islamic Law at Al-Najah University , and is a member of the Islamic Bloc (the student wing of Hamas). He held a position in the Palestinian ministry of higher education. He is also active in social affairs, and in recent years supervised a program researching Israeli society. He has published two books, one of which, entitled The Palestinian-Israeli Peace Process , was translated into English. He was deputy prime minister and minister of higher education in the outgoing Hamas government.

•  Detention by the Israeli security forces: He was detained in 1995 and then detained again. At the end of 2005 he was placed under administrative detention for four months. He was detained again during Operation Summer Rains (June 2006), but released shortly thereafter.

Minister of Planning and International Cooperation –
Dr. Samir Abu Aysha (Abu Abdallah) 

•  Full name: Samir Abdallah Salih Abu Aysha

•  Origin / place of birth: Born in 1960 in the village of Beit Wazan (near Nablus )

•  Organizational affiliation: Hamas activist. Not a member of the Palestinian Legislative Council. Considered affiliated with Hamas but not a member of the leadership ⁸.

•  Family status: Married, father of six children.

•  Education: Professor of civil engineering. Earned his BA at the University of Jordan , and his MA and doctorate at the University of Pennsylvania .

•  Milestones: Dr. Aysha is employed by the Palestinian Authority in the ministry of planning and international cooperation. He was dean of the Department of Engineering and chairman of the Department of Civil Engineering at Al-Najah University . He is currently president of Al-Najah University for Planning and Development. He was a guest lecturer at several universities abroad, including the US , Germany and France , and has written more than 60 research papers and co-authored two books. He was minister of planning and acting prime minister in the outgoing Hamas government. 

Minister of Agriculture – Muhammad Ramadan Muhammad al-Agha

•  Full name: Dr. Muhammad Ramadan Muhammad al-Agha

•  Origin / place of birth: Born in 1959 in Khan Yunis. Member of one of the largest clans in the Khan Yunis area.

•  Organizational affiliation: Hamas (independent, by other accounts). He ran for election but was not elected to the Palestinian Legislative Council.

•  Family status: Married without children.

•  Education: Earned his BA at Cairo University in Egypt and his MA at the University of Jordan . Earned a doctorate in science at the University of Manchester in Britain .

•  Milestones: Al-Agha taught in many universities in the U.S. and Europe ( Britain and Germany ). Since 1995 he has taught at the Islamic University in Gaza , and has published four research papers on the environmental sciences in international journals. He was minister of agriculture in the outgoing Hamas government.

Local Governments Minister – Engineer Muhammad al-Barghuti

•  Full name: Muhammad Ibrahim Musa al-Barghuti

•  Origin / place of birth: Born in 1962 in the village of Kouber (Ramallah district).

•  Organizational affiliation: Senior activist in Hamas since 1995. He is not a member of the Legislative Council.

•  Family status: Married, father of two children.

•  Education: Has a BA in computer sciences and mathematics. He is currently studying business administration at the College of Higher Research in Al-Najah University .

•  Milestones: Barghuti was wounded in the first Palestinian-Israeli confrontation (the first intifada ). He was active in the students association at Al-Najah University and the charitable societies in Ramallah-Al-Bireh. He is currently the general manager of the Islamic Charitable Society in Al-Bireh. ⁹ He served as the minister of labor in the outgoing Hamas government.

•  Detention by the Israeli security forces: Barghuti was wanted by the Israeli security forces, was detained seven times during Operation Summer Rains (June 2006), and held for a few months.

Youth and Sports Minister – Dr. Bassem Na'im

•  Full name: Bassem Na'im Muhammad Na'im

•  Origin / place of birth: Born in 1963 in Beit Hanoun (northern Gaza Strip). He currently lives in the al-Zeitoun quarter of the city.

•  Organizational affiliation: Active in Hamas. Not a member of the Legislative Council, he heads the movement's doctors' association.

•  Family status: Married, father of six children. Two of his sons are operatives in Hamas's terrorist-operative wing. One of them was killed during an operation in the Shuja'iya camp as he led a squad launching Qassam rockets.

•  Education: Na'im completed medical school in Germany and was trained as a surgeon. He works in Dar al-Shifa' Hospital in Gaza .

•  Milestones: From 2003-05 he was head of the Hamas list in the doctors' association in the Gaza Strip and a member of the directorate of the

•  Hamas-affiliated al-Wafa' charitable society. Since 2004 he has taught in the medical school of Al-Azhar University (in the Gaza Strip). He was the health minister in the outgoing Hamas government.

Economics Minister – Engineer Ziyad al-Zaza 

•  Full name: Ziyad Shukri ‘Abd Rabbo al-Zaza

•  Origin / place of birth: Born in 1955 in Gaza .

•  Organizational affiliation: Apparently affiliated with Hamas. He ran in the elections but was not elected to the Palestinian Legislative Council.

•  Family status: Married, father of nine children.

•  Education: Al-Zaza completed an undergraduate degree in civil engineering from Alexandria University in Egypt .

•  Milestones: He managed infrastructure and building projects in Iraq and Saudi Arabia and is now assistant regional engineer for constructing UNWRA buildings in the Gaza Strip. He is chairman of the board of directors of a charitable society focusing on children's welfare and a member of the high council of the engineers' association. He was minister of housing and public works in the outgoing Hamas government.

Information Minister – Dr. Mustafa al-Barghuti 

•  Full name: Mustafa Kamel Mustafa al-Barghuti

•  Origin / place of birth: Born in 1954 in Ramallah, he now lives in Al-Bireh.

•  Organizational affiliation: Independent and a member of the Independent Palestine list. He is also one of the heads of the civilian camp and the Palestinian left.

•  Family status: Married, father of one child.

•  Education: Barghuti holds a medical degree from the University of Moscow and an MS in business administration from Stanford University .

•  Milestones: Barghuti has been active in public and political life for over 25 years. In 2002 (with Haidar Abul Shafi) he founded the non-government organization called the Palestinian National Initiative, which favors promoting reforms and the democratization of the PA, and establishing a united national leadership while continuing the struggle against Israel. In the PA presidential elections of 2005, Barghuti ran against Abu Mazen and received 20% of the votes.

Justice Minister – Engineer Ali Sartawi 

•  Full name: ‘ Ali Muhammad ‘Ali Muslih (Sartawi)

•  Origin / place of birth: Born in 1962 in Salfit, he now resides in Sarta ( Nablus region).

•  Organizational affiliation: A member of the Hamas movement.

•  Family status: Married, father of five children.

•  Education: BA in Islamic law and doctorate in civil law from Amman University in Jordan .

•  Milestones: He is dean of the law school of Al- Najah University in Nablus . He was also a Hamas candidate for minister of justice when the government was being formed in March of 2006.

•  Detention by the Israeli security forces: He was incarcerated in the past due to his membership in Hamas.

Social Affairs Minister – Salah Zaydan 

•  Full name: Salah Muhammad Salim Zaydan

•  Origin / place of birth: Born in 1949 in the Nahr al-Bared refugee camp in northern Lebanon (the family was originally from the village of al-Damon near Acre ). He has been a resident of Gaza since 1996.

•  Organizational affiliation: Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine .

•  Milestones: Zaydan has been a member of the Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine's political bureau since 1989. From 1988 to 1996 he was the national secretary of the Democratic Front in Lebanon . Since 1996 he has been responsible for the movement in the Gaza Strip. He is a member of the monitoring committee of the national and Islamic forces. He has been a supporter of the prisoners' document since it was first written, and in favor of entering the unity government with Hamas.

Culture Minister – Bassam al-Salihi

•  Full name: Bassam Ahmad ‘Umar al- Salihi

•  Origin / place of birth: Born in 1960 in Ramallah. His family was originally from Lod.

•  Organizational affiliation: The Palestinian People's Party (formerly the Palestinian Communist Party).

•  Education: BA in sociology from Bir Zeit University .

•  Milestones: Chairman of the Alternative Faction (Al-Badil) in the Legislative Council and a member of the Palestinian National Council. He represented his party in dialogues and internal Palestinian multilateral talks. He is a member of the high committee for national dialogue and the professional committee for handling funds donated to the account of the presidency .

•  Detention by the Israeli security forces: During the first violent Palestinian-Israeli confrontation (the first intifada ) he was detained a number of times and while in jail was elected to the party's central committee.

Labor Minister – Mahmud al-Alul

•  Full name: Mahmud ‘Uthman Raghib al-Alul

•  Origin / place of birth: Born in 1950 in Nablus , to one of the most prominent families in the city.

•  Organizational affiliation: Active in Fatah since 1967 (was Abu Jihad's assistant for many years).

•  Family status: Married. His eldest son was killed at the beginning of the current violent Palestinian-Israeli confrontation (the second intifada ) when confronting IDF forces in Nablus .

•  Education: BA in geography from Beirut University .

•  Milestones: Member of the Fatah revolutionary council. He filled a variety of positions in Fatah's Western Sector ¹⁰ and operated out of Lebanon , Jordan and Tunisia . Between 1995 and 2005 he was governor of Nablus . He resigned before the Palestinian Legislative Council elections and was elected on the Hamas slate in Nablus .

•  Detention by the Israeli security forces: He was imprisoned in Israel between 1967 and 1970 and then deported to Jordan .

Telecommunications and Technology Minister – Yousif al-Mansi

•  Full name: Yousif Muhammad Hamidd al-Mansi.

•  Origin / place of birth: Born in 1953 in Gaza .

•  Organizational affiliation: Independent. Affiliated with Hamas.

•  Family status: Married, father of five children.

•  Education: Doctorate in civil engineering from Al-Azhar University in Cairo (completed in 2002).

•  Milestones: He worked in Saudia Arabia for 13 years as an engineer for the Wakf (Islamic religious endowments) Ministry in Riyadh . Since 1993 al-Mansi has taught in the engineering department of the Islamic University in Gaza , where he was assistant dean. He is a senior member in the Palestinian Engineers Union. He has been responsible for many engineering projects in the Gaza Strip, including hospital construction.

Public Works Minister – Samih Karakira 

•  Full name: Samih Hussein ‘Abd Karakira

•  Origin / place of birth: Born in 1947, he is a resident of Ramallah and holds American citizenship.

•  Organizational affiliation: Active in Fatah in the Ramallah region.

•  Education: He studied geography at Harvard University and taught at Bir Zeit University . He was deputy minister of planning in the outgoing Hamas government.

•  Milestones: Karakira ran in the Palestinian Legislative Council elections in January 1996, but was not elected. In the past he called for a struggle against corruption and the promotion of reforms in the PA. He has played a part in negotiations with Israel since their inception.

Tourism Minister – Khulud Du'aybas 

Full name: Khulud Frances Khalil Du'aybas

•  Origin / place of birth: Born in 1965 in Bethlehem , she is a Christian and has an East Jerusalem identity card.

•  Organizational affiliation: Identified with Fatah, not a member of the Palestinian Legislative Council.

•  Family status: Married.

•  Education: PhD in architecture from Hanover University (received her degree in 1995).

•  Milestones: She manages the Center for the Preservation of Cultural Heritage in Bethlehem and coordinates European Union projects for cultural heritage preservation. She also manages the rehabilitation project for historical sites in Bethlehem . She is a member of the Palestinian and Jordanian Engineers Union and of the Palestinian Architects Union.

Minister for Women's Affairs – Amal Siyam 

•  Full name: Amal Muhammad al-Sheikh Mahmud Siyam

•  Origin / place of birth: Born in 1962 in the Gaza Strip, she is now a resident of Bethlehem . She is probably a relative of former Hamas interior minister Sa'id Siyam.

•  Organizational affiliation: Iidentified with Hamas, not a member of the Palestinian Legislative Council.

•  Family status: Married, mother of four children. Married to Ghassan Hermas, who teaches at the Al Quds Open University. He was a Hamas operative and Hamas and was one of those deported to Marj al-Zuhour.

•  Education: She has a master's degree in Islamic studies from Al-Quds University .

•  Milestones: A known activist in women's affairs, she is the manager of the training program at the Center for Women's Affairs in Gaza . She teaches at Al-Quds Open University.

Health Minister – Radwan al-Akhras

•  Full name: Radwan Sa'id Suleiman al-Akhras

•  Origin / place of birth: Born in 1945 in Wadi Hanin (the Nes Ziona region in Israel ), he lived in Tunis and has been a resident of Rafah since 1995.

•  Organizational affiliation: A member of Fatah since 1966, he is an observer on the Palestinian National Council.

•  Education: A physician by profession. He took military command courses in Syria , Eastern Europe and the Arab states.

•  Milestones: Al-Akhras was a member of the operational-terrorist wing of Fatah (al-A'asifa Forces). He was in charge of the Palestinian Red Crescent services in Syria and in the Bekaa Valley in Lebanon during 1982 (the first Lebanon war). From 1972 to 1988 he worked with Abu Jihad (Khalil Al-Wazir). He is a Fatah representative in the Palestinian Legislative Council. In Tunis he was responsible for the medical services administration. He was the executive director of the health ministry in the Palestinian Authority. He was formerly the manager of the emergency room in the Rafah hospital.

•  Positions toward Israel : In 1998 he signed the petition opposing the Wye Agreement.

Waqf and Religious Affairs Minister – Hussein al-Tarturi 

•  Full name: Hussein Mutawi' Hussein al-Tarturi

•  Origin / place of birth: Born in 1954 in Hebron . In the past he divided his time between the West Bank and Saudi Arabia .

•  Organizational affiliation: Active in Hamas.

•  Education: He has a doctorate in Islamic law. He studied at Hebron University and Al-Najah University in Nablus .

•  Milestones: He taught religion at Riyadh University . A few years ago he returned to the West Bank . He was in charge of Hamas's budget in the Hebron area.

State Minister ¹¹ - Wasfi Qabha

•  Full name: Wasfi Izzat Hassan Mustafa Qabha

•  Origin / place of birth: Born in 1959 in the village of Barta'a (west of Jenin).

•  Organizational affiliation: He was a Hamas operative. He is considered one of the senior leaders of Hamas in Jenin.

•  Family status: Married, father of seven children.

•  Education: He has a BA in civil engineering from Detroit , and completed post graduate studies in water resource management.

•  Milestones: He works as an engineer in the Jenin municipality, where he is chairman of the research and planning department and manger of the engineering department. He was the Minister for Prisoner Affairs in the outgoing Hamas government. He also functions as a senior political figure in Jenin and is involved in charitable activities in the city.

•  Detention by the Israeli security forces: He was imprisoned a number of times for a total of nine years. While in prison he was considered a leader. In June 2006 he was detained by IDF forces and released a few months later.

Appendix II: The platform of the national unity government

¹ The Palestinian Islamic Jihad, which is not represented in the Palestinian Legislative Council and which did not participate in the elections, is not committed to supporting the new government and its platform. The PIJ and the other terrorist organizations can be expected to continue carrying out terrorist attacks, including rocket and suicide bombing attacks. PIJ spokesman Daoud Shehab said that his organization had many reservations regarding the new government's platform, but that the PIJ's position would be examined primarily according to the governmental support and reinforcement it gave the “resistance.” It is understood that his organization clearly has no intention of stopping its terrorist attacks (Al-Aqsa TV, March 17). Since the establishment of the government there have already been a number of attacks initiated from the Gaza Strip, including rocket attacks and a Hamas sniper attack at the Dekalim terminal near Kibbutz Nahal Oz, in which an Israeli civilian was critically wounded.

² Fathi Hamad, a Hamas member of the Palestinian Legislative Council, said the following in a program broadcast by Al-‘Alam, the Iranian Arabic language channel: “ We want Palestine from the [Mediterranean] sea to the [Jordan] river, and if we do not succeed in liberating it now, or in the near future, with the help of Allah, it will be done… ” (Al-‘Alam TV, March 18).

³ The “new Palestinian National Council” does not yet exist, and it can only be formed after agreement has been reached regarding Hamas participation in the PLO and a change in the PLO's character. The issue of the establishment of a new PLO in which Hamas will participate has been in the works since the Cairo Agreement of March 2005, and it can be assumed that it will not happen in the near future (despite the fact that the platform of the new government calls for the implementation of the Cairo Agreement to be accelerated so that in the end, Hamas will be able to take over the PLO ).

⁴ A Palestinian “government source” told BBC radio in the Gaza Strip that the new government had decided to send its foreign and finance ministers to the United States to try to convince Washington to cooperate with t he national unity government (BBC radio, March 18).

⁵ On the eve of the new government's swearing in (March 15-16), there were manifestations of anarchy and clashes between Fatah and Hamas in the Gaza Strip: the convoy of the director of UNWRA in the Gaza Strip was shot at, the son of the director of the lands authority was abducted, unknown assailants killed a military intelligence officer and three Hamas operatives were abducted by Fatah. On the day the government was sworn in, March 17, there were new abductions and violent clashes between quarreling clans.

⁶ As published on Palestine-info, the Hamas website.

⁷ The ministers are listed here according to the order in which they appear on the Hamas Websites .

⁸ Samir Abu ‘Aysha denied the statement that he is a candidate for the portfolio from Hamas and claimed that he is an independent candidate (Ma'an News Agency, March 16).

⁹ A large Hamas charitable society. It was closed by the Palestinian Authority in December 2001, but it resumed its operations a short time later. Its activity centers on education (the da'wah ) – running a large network of educational institutions, from daycare centers through high schools. In the Hamas-affiliated educational institutions, children are indoctrinated with extremist Islamic ideology, hatred for Israel and the encouragement of terrorism.

¹⁰ Fatah's terrorist-operative wing, active before the Palestinian Authority was established.

¹¹ Minister without portfolio.