Mohammed Mar'i Saudi Gazette RAMALLAH — The Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) on Saturday harshly criticized Iran for inviting Hamas Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh to attend the Non-Aligned Movement summit in Tehran later this month. “Iran joined the Israeli choir which aims to undermine the Palestinian political system and its elected legitimacies," the PLO Executive Committee said in a press statement, a copy of which was obtained by Saudi Gazette. The Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) on Saturday harshly criticized Iran for inviting Hamas Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh to attend the Non-Aligned Movement summit in Tehran later this month. “Iran joined the Israeli choir which aims to undermine the Palestinian political system and its elected legitimacies," the PLO Executive Committee said in a press statement, a copy of which was obtained by Saudi Gazette. The committee was referring to the attack by Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman against Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas. Lieberman called on the Middle East Quartet to intervene in the Palestinian Authority's political leadership to replace Abbas by pressing for new elections in the Palestinian territories. Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas will not go to the Non-Aligned Movement summit in Iran if his rival Ismail Haniyeh of Hamas also attends, a minister said Saturday. “President Abbas will not take part in the Non-Aligned summit if Haniyeh is present, no matter what form his attendance takes," Foreign Minister Riyad Al-Malki said in Ramallah, headquarters of the Palestinian Authority. A Hamas spokesman earlier on Saturday said Haniyeh would attend the Aug. 30-31 conference in Tehran “in accordance with the invitation from Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad." Abbas, who heads a rival West Bank-based administration, said last month that he had accepted an invitation to attend and make his first visit to the Islamic republic. “The invitation (to Haninyeh) aims at protecting the internal division and giving legitimacy to the symbols of the coup," the PLO statement said. The PLO said it “will not allow any power or regime to bypass the Palestinian people's institutions and its legitimate representatives."
