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For Immediate Release

AAF welcomes Palestinians' vote and urges support for peaceful settlement to the Palestine-Israel conflict

Paterson, NJ, January 26, 2006: Hamas, the Islamic Resistance Movement, appears to have won a majority vote to form the next Palestinian government in the West Bank and Gaza Strip. The American Arab Forum respects the choices made by the Palestinian people and urges all factions to unite their collective powers to build an inclusive Palestinian government. This is an historic development not only in the Palestinian national struggle for self-determination but also for the prospects for a peaceful Middle East. An estimated 78% of registered Palestinian voters voted for the new Palestinian Legislature. Not only will Hamas's victory affect the Palestinian political landscape, but also it could have far-reaching implications on the civil and social fabric of the Palestinian people.

Aref Assaf, President of American Arab Forum, expressed his satisfaction at the resoluteness of the Palestinian people to engage in peaceful and democratic means to chose their government even though they remain shackled by the suffocating hand of the Israeli military occupation. He attributed the Hamas victory to the failure of the ruling Fatah Party to deliver on its promise of building a Palestinian state, for its failure to build Palestinian institutions catering to the needs of the improvished Palestinian people and for its lack of transparency, cronyism, corruption and internal factionalism. “We call upon all the Palestinian factions to collaborate towards forming a unity government encompassing all credible Palestinian views. Even though current peace process negotiations have failed to provide peace or security for the Palestinians or the Israelis, we still believe that only peaceful negotiations can resolve the outstanding issues between the two warring parties.” To this end,” Mr. Assaf added, “we call upon Israel and the United States to respect the democratic choice of the Palestinian people and to encourage a new direction towards reconciliation.”