HE Sheikh Hamad bin Jassem Bin Jabor Al Thani, Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs stressed the importance of speedy reconstruction of Gaza in order to alleviate the suffering of its people warning that the Israeli siege will aggravate the situation.
HE told the reporters shortly after he met the French president Nicolas Sarkozy in Paris on Monday "It is extremely important to start the reconstruction works in Gaza as soon as possible to alleviate the suffering of its people and the Israeli siege will only aggravate the situation and will not kneel the Palestinian people in Gaza as some may think."
In reference to the speech of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdulla Bin Abdul-Aziz of Saudi Arabia, HE said that the speech represents the ideal solution to settle Arab differences pointing out that these differences are not an obstacle to the Palestinian reconciliation but a mere fuss posed to the Palestinians to reach positive results.
Sheikh Hamad added that he discussed with the French president the bilateral relations between Qatar and France and the tragic situation in Gaza and the means to solve the problem of lifting the siege especially that there are people who sleep in tents in the cold and some people do not even have tents.
Replying to a question whether the Arab differences prevent the Palestinian reconciliation and if there is contact or cooperation between Qatar and France to cement the Arab rift and help forming a Palestinian government and which kind of government Qatar is in favor of, Sheikh Hamad explained "I would like to start from the speech of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdulla Bin Abdel-Aziz of Saudi Arabia in Kuwait Summit which was very moving and meaningful. I believe that if we take this speech as a guideline in activating the joint Arab work and settling Arab disputes, it will be the ideal solution for us."
In this context, HE said "As for the Arab disputes, there are differences in views which are not an obstacle in the reconciliation process as much as they are a fuss posed to the Palestinians to reach positive results."
Regarding the question about a technocrat government, HE replied "I believe that it should be a government of national unity that unifies all the Palestinians in front of the current crisis which they are undergoing." HE added "Each Arab party can support directly or indirectly the other party, but the Palestinians should make their decision because the case is their own but it also concerns the Arab in the second degree." HE stressed the importance that "the Palestinians should focus on reconciliation and leave aside the hope to cancel each other because they are all one nation that we respect and support."
In response to a question regarding his simultaneous presence with President Mahmoud Abbas in Paris, HE said "I am leaving now to Britain."
Regarding the Israeli threats of assaulting Gaza again, HE said that "He who fears no punishment misbehaves since neither is the international community capable of holding Israel accountable for its action nor are the Arab capable of agreeing on a minimum level to stop Israel. Unfortunately, Israel finds some encouragement here and there and this is our problem."
In reply to a question whether Qatar is bound to merger banks, HE emphasized that Qatar does intend to carry out this step and that this is decision left up to the bank themselves."