Free Republic

Hamas and the Palestinian Authority were in talks to form a national unity government in preparation for the upcoming presidential and parliamentary elections, the Bethlehem-based Ma'an News Agency reported Tuesday. Abbas received phone calls from Hamas leader Khaled Mashaal and Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh confirming their decision to join Hamas with Fatah, according to Ma'an sources. This was not the first time that the two parties had announced an agreement to end their differences. Over the past few years, Fatah and Hamas have reached a number of such agreements that were never implemented. .....

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas said on Saturday he would begin talks with rival factions, including Islamist Hamas, to form a unity government, a crucial step towards healing years of damaging internal divisions. … The need to form a new administration was prompted by the resignation earlier this month of Prime Minister Salam Fayyad because of a rift between him and Abbas, and it has created an opportunity for Abbas to forge a unity government. …

Give John McCain credit where credit is due. A so-called "maverick" and ideological Liberal-Independent in Republican clothing, his dance to the mythical Center (Left, in reality) was clearly not working and his campaign was floundering. In one bold stroke, he did what he needed to do. In picking Sarah Palin as his running mate, McCain re-energized the core conservative base of the Republican party and suddenly vaulted ahead of Obama in the polls. You can talk all you want about Palin's appeal to women and her folksy style, but she is what McCain is not; a card-carrying conservative to the...

BAGHDAD -- Iraq's fractious political groups are moving ahead to shape a national-unity government, progress that should help stop the carnage of the past several days, the prime minister and other leaders said yesterday. Iraq's Kurdish president, Jalal Talabani, predicted that a new government could be formed within weeks. He made the comments after meeting with visiting British Foreign Secretary Jack Straw, who said Iraqis remain optimistic about their future despite suffering through a violent week, when nearly 200 people were killed in two days, including 11 U.S. troops. In an effort to help draw Sunni Arabs into the political...

Dec. 19, 2004 23:40 | Updated Dec. 20, 2004 22:23 Labor, Likud to sign deal Tuesday By GIL HOFFMAN AND NINA GILBERT After nearly two days of delay since Likud and Labor reached a coalition agreement, the two parties have announced that they will finally sign on the deal Tuesday evening, after the Labor party's central committee meeting. The signing was enabled after a preliminary vote in the Knesset on the "double deputy prime minister" bill approved it 56 to 34 on Monday night. The bill, popularly dubbed the "Peres bill," was aimed at resolving the crisis in unity negotiations...

Dec. 19, 2004 23:40 | Updated Dec. 20, 2004 17:32 Sharon, Peres push for coalition deal By GIL HOFFMAN The Shas party decided Monday evening to support a bill to amend Basic Law which would allow two vice premiers premiere' in the government, providing the bill with majority support in the Knesset. Shas' decision came as a sign of recognition to Labor leader Shimon Peres for his good relationship with the party over many years, Army Radio reported. With Shas' backing, the Knesset committee approved the vote on the bill by 15 to 5, and the preliminary vote is set...

Dec. 9, 2004 1:16 | Updated Dec. 9, 2004 22:58 Early results: Likud endorses national-unity government By GIL HOFFMAN Prime Minister Ariel Sharon casts his ballot at the Likud party meeting in Tel Aviv. Sharon is seeking his party's approval to include Labor in the government Photo: AP With most of the results in by 11 p.m. Thursday night, Prime Minister Ariel Sharon received a big political boost when the Likud central committee voted 65 percent to 35 percent to authorize him to begin negotiations on a national-unity government with Labor and haredi parties. Sharon, who received election returns on...