Is Fatah ripe for an new internal Intifada?

Shutting Al-Jazeerah and the angry reaction of PLO and fatah central commette, confirms, that quadoumi's document is true.

I read carfully the comments on Al-Jazeera, most of the readers were not surprised, but pleased to hear it from a high Fath rank, rather than from Hamas.

It is difficult to tell why Quadoumi remained silent, but taking into consideration:

• that Quadoumi is very close to Syrians (Syria man in Fateh), and consequentely close to Palestinian factions based in Syria (may be he is an ex-baath - I am not sure),
• the difficulties in Syria-Saudi dialogue.
• the failure of the Sixth round of Cairo dialoque, and
• the failure of fatah central commettee to reach a compromise on Fath conferance,

Is Fatah is ripe for a new internal Intifada.

I shall not be surprised to see Quadoumin group, may be Hani Al-Hassan, and the old Fath Al-Intifada join togrther, to form a new fath, and pave the way for the long waited alternative PLO.

Flashback:

"Following the takeover of Gaza by Fatah's militant Islamist rival, Hamas, Al Hassan spoke out on Al Jazeera against the Fatah government of President Mahmoud Abbas, describing the Hamas takeover as "not a war" between Hamas and Fatah, but one between Hamas and collaborators, adding that what was happening in the Gaza was a defeat for the Americans."

"a growing polarisation between two camps within the Fatah movement: the nationalist, or "Arafatist" camp, which is faithful to the legacy of Yasser Arafat and is determined to maintain the "purity" of the national struggle for independence and freedom; and the so-called "pragmatic camp", namely the careerist-minded Oslo-era beneficiaries who have profited immensely as a result of the status-quo.

"The first camp is represented by such people as Marwan Al-Barghouti and his supporters, Hani Al-Hassan, Farouk Qaddumi and a large number of Fatah MPs and leaders, especially at the grassroots and intermediate levels. The second camp encompasses the security chiefs, PA operatives and functionaries who are small in terms of numbers but powerful due to foreign -- especially American -- backing and who control the coffers of the PA, Fatah, and the Palestine Liberation Organisation (PLO). "

"Last week, when top Fatah leaders met in Amman in an effort to set a date for holding the repeatedly delayed Sixth Fatah Congress, acrimonious exchanges between Abbas and Qaddumi underscored the serious chasm between the pro- and anti-Oslo camps. Qaddumi reportedly told Abbas that "You are no Yasser Arafat" and that, "You can't hold all these portfolios at the same time."

Abbas Allies Denounce Qadoumi’s Allegations as “Lies”

15/07/2009 Supporters of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas have dismissed allegations that he once plotted against his late predecessor Yasser Arafat, calling the accusations a smear campaign to wreck party unity.

"This report is full of lies," the Central Committee of the Fatah party said in a statement on its website on Tuesday, referring to allegations made by Farouq al-Qadoumi, the Committee's own general secretary.

"Qadoumi is trying to split Fatah and prevent the holding of the 6th Congress," the Central Committee added in the statement, referring to plans to hold a much delayed party assembly in the West Bank on August 4, the first such congress in 20 years. “These allegations are the invention of a man who has lost political and psychological balance.”

Qadoumi said that Abbas and Fatah strongman Mohammed Dahlan were involved in poisoning Arafat. He said that the minutes of a joint Palestinian-Israeli-American meeting held in early March 2004 proved that the two were involved in the poisoning of Arafat and the assassination of Hamas leader Abdul Aziz Al-Rantisi.

Qadoumi said the meeting was attended by Abbas, Dahlan, former Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, his Defense Minister Shaul Mofaz and an American delegation led by William Burns.

Those who attended the meeting planned to assassinate a number of Hamas and Islamic Jihad leaders, Qaddoumi said, adding that the minutes of that meeting were sent to him by Arafat himself. The Fatah official said that he was coming out with the disclosure now “to warn Palestinian factions of what is being hatched against them.”

Palestinian Authority Closes Al-Jazeera in W.Bank; Hamas Condemns
Readers Number : 68

15/07/2009 The Palestinian Authority ordered the closure of Al-Jazeera television in the occupied West Bank on Wednesday for airing "false" information, according to the government said in a statement.

The information ministry said that it was taking the Qatar-based satellite channel to court over a report that it aired the previous day and that its operations in the occupied West Bank would be suspended in the meantime.

The statement said that the pan-Arab channel "has been devoting significant segments of its broadcasts to incitement against the Palestine Liberation Organization and the Palestinian Authority".

"Despite our repeated calls to remain neutral when it covers the Palestinian issue and to be balanced when it comes to the internal Palestinian situation, the channel continues to incite against the PLO and the PA," it said.

Al-Jazeera declined to comment on the move, which came after the channel aired a story on Tuesday in which senior PLO official Faruq Kaddumi accused president Mahmud Abbas of collaborating with Israel to kill veteran Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat in 2004.

The story was aired less than a month before the Fatah movement, today headed by Abbas, is due to hold a general congress on August 4 for the first time in 20 years to renew its leadership.

Kaddumi, who was one of Fatah's founding members, vigorously opposed the 1993 Oslo Accords between the PLO and Israel, which Abbas helped negotiate, and has refused to return to the Palestinian territories as Arafat did following the historic accords.

The Foreign Press Association in Jerusalem, which groups international news organizations in Israel and the Palestinian territories, said it was "deeply concerned" by the PA's move. "We urge the PA to reconsider and are urgently seeking a resolution in line with the PA's stated commitment to freedom of the press," it said.

In Gaza, Hamas "condemned" the closure of Al-Jazeera, saying in a statement that the move was "further proof of the scale of violations committed against the media on the part of the government in Ramallah."

http://www.nationalreview.com/comment/stalinsky200412070826.asp


ritalin said...

This continues to be a highly charged yet fascinating story .
Angry Arab makes an interesting point here:
**the AlJazeera bureau chief in the West Bank is somebody with very moderate political views who is often criticized for being chatty with Israeli officials. But no one can deny his abilities and knowledge.**
Posted by As'ad at 9:43 AM

This AlJezeera bureau chief would not air "false" information. Because his reputation as a "moderate",(chatty with Israeli's) further gives credibility to Qadoumi's claims.

4:20 PM, July 15, 2009