Palestinian leaders have hailed the message that King Abdullah, Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, sent to President Mubarak of Egypt Friday, commending the role Egypt has played to unite the two Palestinian rivals Fatah and Hamas. Egypt urged all Palestinian factions on Thursday to work on ending their internal chasm in reconciliation talks aimed at pushing rivals Hamas and Fatah to form an interim unity government. Muhammad Subaih, Assistant Secretary of the Arab League for Palestinian Affairs, said that the joint Saudi-Egyptian effort has come to support the Palestinian cause. The Egyptian effort to put the Palestinian reconciliation back on track is a step in the right direction of Arab unity, he said. Distrust between the two groups runs deep after a power struggle including Hamas' takeover of Gaza in 2007, leaving Fatah in charge of only the West Bank. On Tuesday, Fatah agreed to release 42 Hamas detainees in the West Bank in a goodwill gesture ahead of the talks and promised to release more in the future. The Palestinian rivals Hamas and Fatah have agreed in Cairo to start fresh dialogue to settle old duels, re-kindling the hope in the Muslim Ummah of long-lasting peace between the two rivals, Subaih said. The agreement between the two rivals to talk across the table would not have come into reality had not it been for the support of the Muslim and Arab leaders, especially from the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, he added. The Arab League feels so indebted to the King's support to unite all Arabs, Subaih said. Saudi Arabia has strived to gain the appreciation and respect of all Muslims and Arabs through its relentless effort to unite their fronts, he said. Ahmed Al-Kurd, the Hamas government's social affairs minister, said the support of King Abdullah of the Palestinian cause has strengthened the Palestinians. The King's speech at the Arab Summit in Kuwait last month has helped to bridge the gap between Arabs to face upcoming challenges, he said. Fatah activist Rafiq Al-Natsheh said the stand of King Abdullah on the Palestinian cause has always been firm, clear, and appreciated. The King's message to President Mubarak of Egypt reflects “his love, credibility, and transparency on the Palestinian case,” he said. Saudi Arabia is “the main supporter of the Palestinian people and the effort of King Abdullah to unite Arabs and Muslims will reclaim the glory of the Ummah,” he said. Hamas backed Jamal Al-Khudairi, a legislator of the Palestinian Parliament, said the King's message to President Mubarak reflects his care to unite all the Palestinian fronts. The Kingdom's role to support the Palestinian cause is known to the world, Khudairi said. Former Imam of Al-Aqsa Mosque Sheikh Yousef Salama hailed the effort of the Kingdom to support Egypt to bring the Palestinians to talk and reconcile. Sheikh Salama said that the Palestinian people mention with appreciation the role of Saudi Arabia to re-build Gaza after Israel's three-week offensive in Gaza last year. Egyptian Ambassador in Riyadh Mahmoud Ouf said the King's message to President Mubarak comes within the framework of ongoing coordination and consultation between the two leaderships to unite the Palestinians. The Palestinian reconciliation talks between Fatah and Hamas have come as part of King Abdullah's call to unify Arab ranks at the Arab Summit in Kuwait. Previous reconciliation talks fell apart in November last year when Hamas pulled out at the last minute after a dispute with Fatah over releasing prisoners.
