A new Palestinian government in the West Bank, featuring 11 new ministers and two reshuffled posts in the 25-member cabinet, was sworn in on Wednesday in a clear sign that efforts to end the Palestinian political split between Hamas and Fatah are stuck.

Salam Fayyad has retained his post of prime minister, until or unless a unity government is formed. But he relinquished the role of finance minister to Nabil Kassis, a former university president who, like Fayyad, is considered a political independent. The role of finance minister is important, particularly because the PA has been facing budgetary issues since it announced its intention to establish a Fatah-Hamas unity government in February 2011.

Fayyad, a widely respected economist noted for his success in fighting corruption but accused of being too pro-Western by critics, was supposed to hand over the role of prime minister to a Hamas- backed member in a unity government.

The Hamas leadership, as expected, was upset by the cabinet reshuffle.

“Any reformation of the government in the West Bank, or even any cabinet reshuffle, is wrong and with this they are avoiding the Doha announcement,” said Hamas spokesman Fawzi Barhoum, referring to a tentative agreement on Fatah-Hamas unity reached three months ago. “This strengthens the division” and demonstrates that the PA and Fatah “are far from implementing the unity agreement,” added Barhoum, according to AFP.

Abbas responded that the decision was forced upon him because the government in Ramallah was no longer able to function. “We are paralyzed,” Abbas told reporters before the swearing-in ceremony.

The unity deal was to have ended five years of separate Palestinian governments, one run by Fayyad in the West Bank and the other by Hamas in the Gaza Strip. Under its terms, Abbas was to head an interim unity government ahead of presidential and parliamentary elections.

However, repeated disagreements between the two factions as well as within them have held up implementation. By rearranging the cabinet in the West Bank, Fayyad and Abbas signaled the split is likely to continue for some time.

According to the Palestinian news agency Wafa, Abbas told the new cabinet that its priority should be to conduct municipal elections that have been delayed repeatedly. Such elections would likely be held only in the West Bank, another sign that implementation of the unity agreement does not seem close.

Abbas and Hamas have had bitter ideological differences, with Abbas pursuing a deal with Israel and Hamas dismissing such talks as a waste of time. Efforts to bring the two groups together have repeatedly stalled but February’s agreement, signed in Doha, Qatar, seemed to bring reconciliation — key to any statehood ambitions — within reach for the first time since 2007.

Under the Doha agreement, Abbas was to lead an interim unity government of independent technocrats for several months, until elections. But since it was announced, rifts have emerged. Hamas leaders in Gaza balked at the idea of relinquishing power to Abbas who, in turn, has been apprehensive about engaging in a partnership with the Islamists that could turn off Western donors.

Israel had condemned the Doha deal, warning that any rapprochement between Abbas and Hamas would close the door to future peace talks. (© 2012 THE TIMES OF ISRAEL 05/16/12)