Palestinian Parliament speaker Ahmed Qurei, also known as Abu Ala, said Wednesday he has accepted the position of Prime Minister.
"I have accepted the appointment," Qurei told reporters after a meeting with Palestinian President Yasser Arafat. "I will start forming my Cabinet. It will be a crisis Cabinet," Qurei noted.
The president asked and urged me strongly to accept to form a government.” “I agreed and I have got to face this crisis, to face this problem,” he added.
“I will take the risk. I will take the responsiblity. I will go forward. “I hope I will be able to form an emergency government -- a six-, seven- or eight- person government.”
He condemned an Israeli air strike in Gaza on Wednesday morning in which a Hamas political leader was injured. But he also condemned two suicide attacks in Israel which left 15 dead.
“What happened today (in Gaza) is very dangerous and is not acceptable,” Qurei said. “What happened from the Palestinians is unacceptable and is dangerous. “We are passing in a very dangerous historical moment. Each side should hold its responsiblity carefully. We should put emotion aside and think seriously about the interests of both our peoples.” (Albawaba.com)
