debkafile: Israel’s refusal to recognize or negotiate with the Hamas government is unlikely to hold water

debkafile counter-terror sources report that Thursday, Jan 26, the day the Hamas win was declared, Mahmoud Abbas indicated that far from stepping down after his Fatah party’s defeat, he meant to collaborate fully with the winning Hamas. The Palestinian Authority will then have a Fatah chairman.
During Thursday night, Abu Mazen was on the phone to the real power behind Hamas, the radical Khaled Mashaal, at his Damascus headquarters.
Mashaal said he did not want to be prime minister and would therefore not appoint the new government. He advised the appointment of public Palestinian figures with international credibility as prime minister and also finance minister.
The names Hamas would find acceptable were Fatah’s Nabil Shaath, Socialist Dr. Mustafa Barghouti and independent former finance minister Salim Fayyad. The portfolio that Hamas wanted was internal security with control over Palestinian security and intelligence services. The new Palestinian ruler will also take over the PA’s television, radio and press.
Mashaal is planning to relocate from Damascus to the Palestinian territories.
debkafile‘s political sources add: With outside figures in the posts of Palestinian prime minister and finance minister, Israel may see the Hamas-dominated administration gaining international acceptance. Jerusalem`s non-recognition posture would then come under pressure. Abbas will no doubt explain to the Americans that the Palestinian situation is no different from that of Lebanon, whose government is not blacklisted despite Hizballah’s participation.