Panic in the 'Palestinian Authority'
'Moderate' 'Palestinian' President The Palestinian Authority is concerned about Turkey’s increased support for Hamas, a PA official in Ramallah said on Monday.I don't believe that Egypt is really supporting Hamas - Egypt has as much reason to be concerned about Hamas as the 'Palestinian Authority.' (Can you say 'Muslim brotherhood'?)
The official said that the PA leadership was “unhappy” with Turkey’s policy toward Hamas, especially with regard to pressure to lift the blockade on the Gaza Strip unconditionally.
“Turkey’s policy is emboldening Hamas and undermining the Palestinian Authority,” the official told The Jerusalem Post.
“Of course we want to see the blockade lifted, but Hamas must also end its coup in the Gaza Strip and accept an Egyptian proposal for achieving reconciliation with Fatah.”
The PA is also concerned the reopening of the Rafah border crossing to Sinai would enable Hamas to tighten its grip on the Strip.
“We wish to remind the Turkish and Egyptian governments that the border crossing was controlled by the Palestinian Authority before Hamas launched its coup in 2007,” the official added. “If the Rafah border crossing is going to be reopened, that should be done in coordination with us and not with Hamas.”
But Turkey seems to be pursuing an Islamist agenda with reckless abandon. While I noted in the previous post that the Turkish opposition has been pushing back against Prime Minister Erdogan's embrace of the Islamist line, Erdogan seems to be losing control over the situation himself, with radicals from the IHH pushing Turkey deeper and deeper into Iran's quarter. Or maybe Erdogan really is that much of a radical.
As to Abu Mazen, he has little legitimacy and less support among his own 'people' (although he is in Washington on Wednesday for a meeting with President Obama). While Fatah is more secular than Hamas, it also has no line of succession from Abu Mazen and it is not clear what will happen if elections are held (unless Marwan Barghoutis is released from an Israeli jail - God forbid - in which case Fatah seems likely to become as radicalized as Hamas.
What could go wrong?
posted by Carl in Jerusalem @ 10:08 AM
2 Comments:
The PA is not willing to give up its radical character and hard line attitude to make a real compromise peace with Israel. Its shares with Hamas the aim of overthrowing Israel. The only real difference it has with Hamas is which of them should run a united Palestinian state on Israel's ruins. Don't look for Abu Bluff to change the PA's and by extension, Fatah's policy towards Israel any time soon.
The Egyptians would like a strong Hamas as much as Jordan would like the PLO to move in to Amman.
This radicalization of Turkey, thats just bad all around.
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