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Haniyeh turns to Gaza's intelligentsia

In meetings with Gazan's intellectuals, Hamas Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh sought opinions on the Strip’s most pressing issues from those outside the movement.

Ismail Haniyeh, prime minister of the Hamas Gaza government, gestures as he delivers a speech in Gaza City October 19, 2013. Haniyeh urged rival Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas to speed up the implementation of the faltering Egyptian-brokered unity deal to heal six years of political rifts. REUTERS/Mohammed Salem (GAZA - Tags: POLITICS) - RTX14GMX
Ismail Haniyeh, prime minister of the Hamas Gaza government, gestures as he delivers a speech in Gaza City, Oct. 19, 2013. — REUTERS/Mohammed Salem

During the end of November and early December, Gaza was the scene of two closed-door meetings held by Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh with a number of intellectuals, authors, academics, university professors, public opinion leaders, representatives of civil society and journalists. These meetings came as part of his continuous effort to keep communications open with this important segment of Palestinian society. Al-Monitor’s reporter had the opportunity to attend both of them.

At the first meeting, Haniyeh gave a lengthy speech about local and regional political developments; the second meeting gave attendees the opportunity to engage in discussions over the course of eight whole hours.

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