Israel Matzav

Coup? What coup?

'Moderate' 'Palestinian' President Mahmoud Abbas Abu Mazen may be taking reports of an attempted Hamas coup seriously, but that's not stopping him from going to Doha on Wednesday to pay homage to Hamas politburo chief Khaled Meshaal and to Meshaal's patron, the Emir of Qatar.

Palestinian Authority (PA) Chairman Mahmoud Abbas will travel to Doha on Wednesday and hold talks the next day with the emir of Qatar and Hamas exiled leader Khaled Meshaal, the Palestinian ambassador in Qatar told AFP Tuesday. 

Abbas's visit to Qatar was initially announced for Monday by Palestinian officials who are in Cairo for indirect talks with Israel on a lasting truce in Gaza.

Abbas will on Thursday discuss separately with Meshaal and Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani latest developments in the negotiations in Cairo and "aid and reconstruction" in Gaza, Palestinian ambassador Monir Ghannam told AFP.

From Doha, Ghannam said Tuesday, Abbas will travel on to Cairo as part of contacts the Palestinian leadership is staging "with all the parties concerned" in the Israel-Palestinian conflict.

The meeting follows both the last-minute extension of a 5-day ceasefire between Israel and Hamas - and rumors of Israel agreeing to some of Hamas's unprecedented demands for a lasting truce - and the revelation that Hamas recently staged a coup in Judea-Samaria.

This sounds like Abu Bluff's self-preservation instinct kicking in. Otherwise, it makes no sense for him to meet with these people. Abu Bluff was among those who was furious at John Kerry for bringing Qatar into the negotiations last month.

Or is Kerry perhaps responsible for the necessity for holding this meeting. Has Kerry made Qatar indispensable for the 'Palestinian Authority'? If yes, great job America! /sarc

Labels: Abu Mazen, cease fire, Emir of Qatar, Gaza, Hamas, Hamas-Fatah reconciliation, Khaled Meshaal, Operation Protective Edge, Palestinian Authority, Qatar

posted by Carl in Jerusalem @ 3:23 PM