Abbas: Prisoners' Document cannot be basis for unity government

Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas told Hamas officials last week that the international community considered the Prisoners' Document unacceptable as the political platform of a Palestinian national unity government.

According to a report in the London-based Al-Hayat daily, Abbas explained that the changes made to the document to assuage the various Palestinian factions had made it unacceptable.

So much for the "Prisoners' Document". Apparently even implicit recognition of the existence of the state of Israel is too divisive a position for any government representing the Palestinians.