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‘Abbas Faces Heat Ahead of U.S. Visit

Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud ‘Abbas is facing criticism from the Hamas organization ahead of his meeting with United States President Barack Obama in Washington on Thursday.

Hamas says it believes ‘Abbas will capitulate to pressure from the U.S. and will not recognize the outcome of the meeting.

Hamas claims ‘Abbas’ term has expired as chairman of the Palestinian Authority and therefore does not recognize his right to sign agreements with Israel or the U.S. on behalf of the Palestinian people.

The main topic to be discussed by ‘Abbas and Obama will be Israel’s construction of Jewish communities in post-1967 territories.
   
‘Abbas will ask Obama to press Israel to halt the expansion of Jewish communities, in accord with the 2003 Road Map peace plan. He will also demand that the new Israeli government accept a two-state solution, which Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu has been reluctant to embrace.

‘Abbas is meeting Obama ten days after Netanyahu met the American president.

Netanyahu and Obama failed to reach common ground regarding the construction of Jewish communities in the West Bank.
 
Netanyahu has said Israel will not build new communities, but will allow existing communities to expand in accordance with their natural growth.

Netanyahu’s government is, however, evacuating outposts, a move that is creating tension with the hawks in his government.  

Two illegal outposts near Hebron, the Federman Ranch and Hill 18, were evacuated on Tuesday night. The Federman Ranch was evacuated last year, but its residents returned soon after to rebuild it.

Outposts usually include a few basic shacks fenced in on a West Bank hilltop and are typically inhabited by a few dozen people, mostly youngsters.

Palestinians insist that all of these communities are illegal, not just the outposts, and that all should be evacuated.

Palestinians fear that Obama will show bias towards Israel and that any statement in favor of the Palestinian cause will not be backed with deeds.

An opinion piece in the pro-government Palestinian daily Al-Hayyat Al-Jadida said the main problem facing ‘Abbas is that “there is no American activity to stop Israel’s house demolitions and building of settlements in Jerusalem and the Palestinian [West] Bank.”

The writer said the Obama administration was falling in line with Israel’s policy of procrastination and was “treating Israel’s hostile policies and activities towards Palestinians and Arabs with timidity and silence.”