Hamas leader Khaled Mashaal (L) and PA President Mahmoud Abbas. Photo: Jewish Policy Center.

A member of the Executive Committee of the PLO, Dr. Ahmed Majdalani, told Al-Quds newspaper that he expects Hamas and Islamic Jihad to join with the PLO after National Council elections later this month, though the government will still headed by President Mahmoud Abbas.

The PA is subsidiary to the PLO, whose members are not elected by the people.

Anonymous pro-Israel blogger Elder of Ziyon notes that “This means that terror groups who urge the ethnic cleansing of Jews in the Middle East will be accepted as part of the international community at the UN. (The UN does not distinguish between the PLO and the ‘State of Palestine.’).”

Majdalani also said that negotiations between Fatah and Hamas in Cairo are resulting in a mechanism for new elections not only in the territories but also for Palestinian Arabs who live abroad.

On Thursday Hamas and Fatah agreed to implement, by the end of this month, previous reconciliation agreements signed between the two parties.

The most recent reconciliation agreement, signed in Doha, Qatar, envisages the establishment of a unity government headed by Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas.