By Jerusalem Newswire Editorial Staff
Nov 19, 2004
Following his reelection, US President George W. Bush vowed to make “spending the capital of the United States” to solve the Israeli-Arab conflict the focus of his second term.
He attempted to counterbalance widespread American opposition to a sovereign PLO entity by insisting the post-Arafat “Palestinian” regime would be a democratically elected one in the Western mold.
But as the PA’s January 9 election date nears, it appears the “Palestinians” are set to follow the more familiar form of “democracy” common among the Middle East’s dictatorships.
One man show
In the Israeli media, the upcoming PA election is seen largely as an effort to legitimize Mahmoud Abbas (Abu Mazen) as Yasser Arafat’s heir.
“Israel expects Abbas to be the only candidate,” wrote Aluf Benn in the leftist Ha’aretz daily.
Fatah’s central committee and Revolutionary Council were scheduled to meet Saturday to officially announce Abbas as the party’s candidate for Palestinian Authority chairman.
“It is unlikely anyone will try to run against him,” Bassam Abu Sharif, a spokesman for former PA chairman Yasser Arafat told The Jerusalem Post .
A senior PA official dismissed speculation that “Palestinian” Prime Minister Ahmed Qureia would challenge for the PLO leadership, noting, “A majority of senior Fatah leaders prefers Abbas.”
If Qureia heeds advice to back down, Abbas would be happy to name him to the prime minister’s post once again, the source said.
Gaza strongman Mohammed Dahlan squashed rumors he would also contend for the top chair, and instead threw his support fully behind Abbas.
Dahlan’s backing is seen as crucial to Abbas’ ability to govern in Gaza. He is expected to receive a senior cabinet position in return.
False appearance of civility
In an attempt to portray “Palestinian” society as civilized, Abbas has demanded the members of the various terror groups stop displaying their weapons in public in the run-up to the election.
Abbas told Reuters the PA would “act firmly against anyone who violates the law."
He did not commit to actually disarming the terror groups, which the PA’s signed agreements with Israel obligate it to do.
Abbas also stopped short of saying the PA would work prevent the terror groups from planning further attacks against Israel’s Jews – another “Oslo Accord” commitment still unfulfilled.
He did, however, urge the terrorists to not attack Israeli population centers for the time being.
Hamas leaders denied that Abbas had called for a general ceasefire during meetings with them in Gaza City.
“He only said that he wants calm on the internal level, and not an end to the struggle against the occupation [sic],” Hamas spokesman Sami Abu Zuhari told reporters.
Abbas “told the Hamas and Islamic Jihad leaders that the Palestinians need a quiet period to prepare for the presidential elections,” explained Palestinian legislator Ziad Abu Amer.
What he proposed was a temporary truce "only for the next two months till the presidential elections are held,” Amer was quoted as saying by The Jerusalem Post .
Terror’s puppet
Observers have expressed the belief that, lacking Arafat’s stature, Abbas will quickly become a puppet of the terrorist organizations, dashing hopes that the PA would hold meaningful negotiations with Israel anytime soon.
During his brief stint as PA prime minister last year Abbas insisted that shutting down the terror groups was simply not an option he was willing to consider.
Many expect him to move even closer to the terrorists in an effort to head off accusations that he had betrayed the “Palestinian” cause in Aqaba in 2003 by making certain concessions to Israel.
The Al Aqsa Brigades – the so-called “military” wing of Abbas’ own Fatah party – has even suggested Abbas may be assassinated if the policies of the new regime are viewed to be in any way conciliatory toward Israel.
If Abbas “goes back on our unalterable demands - a state on pre-1967 lines, its capital in Jerusalem, the right of return of refugees and the release of prisoners - we will not recognize him," Al Aqsa's Jenin chief, Zakariya Zubeidi, told Britain’s Financial Times.
Shechem Al Aqsa leader Nasser Juma'a went a step further, warning that politicians “can get killed when their people believe they are surrendering them to the enemy.”
A day earlier, Abbas and his entourage were attacked by unidentified “Palestinian” gunmen while visiting a mourning tent to Arafat in the Gaza Strip.
One of his bodyguards was killed in the exchange of fire.
Axis of evil
Far from fulfilling the PA’s obligation to put the terror groups out of business, Abbas told “Palestinian” TV Thursday he was examining ways to form a national unity cabinet, which would give groups such as Hamas a place in the government.
His statement appeared to signal at least partial acceptance of Hamas’s demand that a joint power-sharing structure be established.