Israel Matzav

The oh so popular Salam Fayyad

Marty Peretz points out how popular Salam Fayyad is in the United States, in Europe, even in Israel. There's only one place he's not popular, and unfortunately for all those who dream that Fayyad will put an end to the Israeli - Arab conflict, it's the only place that matters: The 'Palestinian Authority.'

The problem is that the Palestinians don’t seem to like him or, what’s more important, trust him. Yes, you should ask, “which Palestinians?” The sad truth is that those who hate Fayyad are important Palestinians, very important....

Does Obama realize the consequences of this hatred? (And it really is hatred.) Probably not.

Forget about Hamas in Gaza. They also hate Fayyad. But they hate Abbas, too. Does Obama realize the consequences of this hatred? Also not.

Peretz points us to this article in Haaretz that explains how and why the 'Palestinians' hate Fayyad.

The decisions indicate that a political dispute between Fayyad and the Fatah movement has come out in the open: Fatah was unhappy with Fayyad's independent statement in apparent support of a unilateral declaration of a Palestinian state in August 2011.

This contrasts with the Fatah position, which holds that such a move plays into Israeli hands since it would lead to the creation of a small state.

Furthermore, Abbas recently said the PA isn't planning to declare a Palestinian state.

A Fatah Revolutionary Council member told Haaretz yesterday that several council members see Fayyad as a danger to Fatah, since the prime minister's agenda does not necessarily overlap with that of the movement.

"It can't be that the education, social affairs, foreign and finance ministers - or any ministry with significant power - don't belong to Fatah," the council member said. "Fatah doesn't have anything left. No demand for dismissing Fayyad has been made. But [Fatah] did demand control of the Finance, Foreign Affairs and Education Ministries. The extensive anger against Fayyad [stems from the belief] that he and his people are damaging Fatah's image. They're presenting themselves as being clean, as opposed to the Fatah people. The foreign minister presents himself as someone who has come to fix the damage caused by Fatah."

It sounds to me that what they're really afraid of is that Fayyad might actually want to compromise with Israel, since even Fayyad knows that he cannot unilaterally establish a state in August 2011. Hmmm.

posted by Carl in Jerusalem @ 3:30 PM