Israel Matzav

His nickname is 'Hitler'

As US Secretary of State John FN Kerry negotiates a 'peace agreement' between the 'Palestinians' and Israel, one has to wonder whether 'moderate' 'Palestinian' President Mahmoud Abbas Abu Mazen is the right man to be negotiating for Fatah. You see, Khaled Abu Toameh reports that Abu Mazen doesn't even control his own Fatah faction (Hat Tip: Bad Blue).

A series of events over the past few weeks have left many Palestinians wondering if Fatah will ever be able to recover and rehabilitate itself in the aftermath of its defeat by Hamas in the January 2006 parliamentary election.

These events have also raised questions as to Abbas's ability to rein in and control his own loyalists in Fatah. Abbas, it seems, has lost control not only over the Gaza Strip, but also his Fatah faction.

The most recent crisis in Fatah erupted last week when Fatah legislator and activist Jamal Abu al Rub, who is nicknamed "Hitler," punched senior Fatah rival Jibril Rajoub three times in the face after a violent confrontation in Ramallah's Grand Park Hotel, where Rajoub, a former Fatah security commander, was waiting to meet with the Chinese foreign minister.

Abu al Rub later explained that Rajoub had "provoked" him, and that was why he had decided to assault him. According to Abu al Rub, about two months ago one of Rajoub's bodyguards had assaulted him during a heated meeting of Fatah leaders in Ramallah.

Abbas, in response, decided to expel Abu al Rub from Fatah.

The decision drew strong condemnations from Abu al Rub's supporters in the Jenin area of the northern West Bank, where dozens of Fatah activists tendered their resignations to Abbas. In a further escalation, Fatah gunmen loyal to Abu al Rub expelled Palestinian Authority policemen from the town of Qabatya near Jenin.

Palestinians have expressed fear that the fight between Abu al Rub and Rajoub could lead to an all-out bloody confrontation between supporters of the two men.

Abu Toameh goes on to describe this as another instance of the longstanding 'Palestinian' feud between the old guard and the new guard, with Abu al Rub representing the new guard. The new guard, as Abu Toameh hints, is highly unlikely to abide by any 'peace agreement' 'negotiated' by Abu Mazen. While the Obama administration, which is starved for an 'achievement' in the foreign policy field, won't care about that, Israel ought to care a lot about it.

Read the whole thing.

Labels: Abu Mazen, Fatah, Jibril Rajoub, John Kerry, Khaled Abu Toameh, Middle East peace process, Palestinian state RIGHT NOW syndrome

posted by Carl in Jerusalem @ 9:26 PM