Twenty people were killed and some 120 were injured during a deadly confrontation between Hamas security forces and gunmen from a militant Salafi splinter group, Jund Ansar Allah after the group's leader declared on Friday his neighbourhood in Rafah an Islamic emirate.
The battle at a mosque in Rafah started early Friday and ended Saturday with Hamas declaring the end of the operation that killed Abdel Latif Moussa, leader of Jund Asar Allah, an al-Qaeda-inspired organization.
The group has carried out attacks against Israel, but Hamas chose to ignore their presence until the Salafi group did what Hamas did to Fatah: accused it of being infidels and of eagerness to please the West.
Dismissed Hamas Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh said after the military operation ended that Jund Ansar Allah took advantage of youth and infused them with “strange ideas” based on acting against so-called atheists in a violent way.
When Hamas violently took over Gaza, Palestinians I interviewed were shocked to see bodies of Fatah men killed by Hamas masked gunmen dragged on the streets and spit at by Hamas gunmen as "athiests". Fatah so-called "infidels" were thrown from rooftops. Others were beaten with sticks until their bones were broken. Nails were drilled in the legs and knees of some Fatah men I spoke to in 2007.
Hamas crushed the Salafi militant group hoping the World would consider it a moderate, Islamic movement that seeks international legitimacy and an authority that can crush pro-Qaeda radicals. Its members have said that the World should engage with Hamas that can impose law and order in Gaza Strip.
A Palestinian businessman in the West Bank city of Ramallah said the fighting between Hamas security forces and Jund Ansar Allah gunmen showed that Hamas' rule in Gaza was no different from any other Arab police state that would stop at nothing to survive.
A politician said it was scary to see how the situation in Gaza, the rule of Hamas, the isolation, poverty and siege, have created militant, radical groups that make Hamas look like a moderate movement.
Since Hamas seized Gaza Strip in June, 2007 by force, it has slowly and cautiously been turning Gaza into an Islamic emirate. It has imposed restrictions on the work of the press. Many journalists simply don't report human rights abuses taking place in Gaza.
Human rights activists say their reports show human rights abuses and cases of torture in the West Bank as well, but violations in Gaza were more systematic.
What happened in Gaza with Jund Ansar Allah may be just the beginning of Hamas' problems with similar hardline Salafi groups that have emerged originally from Hamas disenchanted grassroots.
Sunday, August 16, 2009
Tuesday, August 11, 2009
New generation leads Fatah
Around 05:30 a.m. on Tuesday I started receiving calls from Bethlehem with early results of Fatah's first leadership election in 20 years.
Early results of the the historic Fatah vote showed the group has discarded some 80 percent of its old leaders. It was a clear sign Fatah was determined to rejuvenate the group that lost power to Hamas in 2006.
It was a coup against the old guards who monopolised power for over 20 years and marginalized the local leaders of the West Bank and Gaza.
Hamas has done its best to derail Fatah's first conference in 20 years but the vote took place nevertheless.
Leaders who publicly defy Hamas' forceful control of Gaza such as Mohammad Dahlan, Tayyeb Abdel-Rahim, Tawfiq Tirawi and Hussein al-Sheikh, among others, won seats on Fatah's Central Committee, the group's highest decision-making body.
Fatah officials in Gaza said most if not all voters in Gaza voted for jailed leader Marwan Barghouthi who led the second Intifada, and a possible successor for Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas.
Well-known and influential figures from the older generation such as Ahmed Qurie had disappeared from the winners' list, early results showed.
For the first time since its inception in 1965, Yasser Arafat's Fatah is now led by the younger generation from the West Bank and Gaza. The older generation that led the movement in exile and during the past 15 years have now been forced to give way to the young, the bulk of the secular movement.
Early results of the the historic Fatah vote showed the group has discarded some 80 percent of its old leaders. It was a clear sign Fatah was determined to rejuvenate the group that lost power to Hamas in 2006.
It was a coup against the old guards who monopolised power for over 20 years and marginalized the local leaders of the West Bank and Gaza.
Hamas has done its best to derail Fatah's first conference in 20 years but the vote took place nevertheless.
Leaders who publicly defy Hamas' forceful control of Gaza such as Mohammad Dahlan, Tayyeb Abdel-Rahim, Tawfiq Tirawi and Hussein al-Sheikh, among others, won seats on Fatah's Central Committee, the group's highest decision-making body.
Fatah officials in Gaza said most if not all voters in Gaza voted for jailed leader Marwan Barghouthi who led the second Intifada, and a possible successor for Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas.
Well-known and influential figures from the older generation such as Ahmed Qurie had disappeared from the winners' list, early results showed.
For the first time since its inception in 1965, Yasser Arafat's Fatah is now led by the younger generation from the West Bank and Gaza. The older generation that led the movement in exile and during the past 15 years have now been forced to give way to the young, the bulk of the secular movement.
Monday, August 10, 2009
Fatah and the government
Restless Fatah candidates running for leadership positions in the secular movement huddled in their hotel rooms with friends and campaigners hours before the results of their first election in 20 years.
Most are anxiously working the phones while the clocks tick away. A few hours and the results would be announced. The fierce campaiging of hundreds of Fatah candidates is over. A new leadership will emerge soon to face challenges and key issues the previous leaders failed to resolve.
These issues include reconciliation with Islamist Hamas and reuniting Gaza with the West Bank, preparing for U.S.-sponsored negotiations with Israel, changing attitudes that led to Fatah's loss to Hamas in the 2006 election, and preparing for parliamentary and presidential elections planned for January.
But most importantly, reforming the internal structure of the mainstream group and prioritizing objectives.
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, who was re-elected Friday as Fatah's leader, said in his speech at the launching of the Fatah Congress that one of Fatah's mistakes was losing its independence as a national movment and melting in the Palestinian Authority's institutions and structures.
Not many in Fatah share his view. Many have participated in the Fatah election hoping to strengthen their movement and regain power. Fatah, which has led the Palestinians for over 40 years, is no longer running the government in the West Bank and has been greatly weakened in Gaza by Hamas.
There were voices before and during the Fatah Congress saying the new Fatah leadership should return to power and take over the government from technocrat Salam Fayyad.
Fayyad has earned world recognition for his reform movement. Confidence in his transparent policies have won the Palestinians billions of dollars in international aid. Fatah has yet to free itself from corruption and mismanagement allegations to secure aid for the cash-strapped Palestinian Authority.
Determined to sway Fatah from pursuing actions to retake the government, Abbas has taken a decision during the Fatah Congress banning the new elected Fatah leaders from taking up governmental positions.
This decision may be contested by Fatah's new leaders. Abbas' message however was clear: The time has come to reassess Fatah's experience and learn from its defeat.
Most are anxiously working the phones while the clocks tick away. A few hours and the results would be announced. The fierce campaiging of hundreds of Fatah candidates is over. A new leadership will emerge soon to face challenges and key issues the previous leaders failed to resolve.
These issues include reconciliation with Islamist Hamas and reuniting Gaza with the West Bank, preparing for U.S.-sponsored negotiations with Israel, changing attitudes that led to Fatah's loss to Hamas in the 2006 election, and preparing for parliamentary and presidential elections planned for January.
But most importantly, reforming the internal structure of the mainstream group and prioritizing objectives.
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, who was re-elected Friday as Fatah's leader, said in his speech at the launching of the Fatah Congress that one of Fatah's mistakes was losing its independence as a national movment and melting in the Palestinian Authority's institutions and structures.
Not many in Fatah share his view. Many have participated in the Fatah election hoping to strengthen their movement and regain power. Fatah, which has led the Palestinians for over 40 years, is no longer running the government in the West Bank and has been greatly weakened in Gaza by Hamas.
There were voices before and during the Fatah Congress saying the new Fatah leadership should return to power and take over the government from technocrat Salam Fayyad.
Fayyad has earned world recognition for his reform movement. Confidence in his transparent policies have won the Palestinians billions of dollars in international aid. Fatah has yet to free itself from corruption and mismanagement allegations to secure aid for the cash-strapped Palestinian Authority.
Determined to sway Fatah from pursuing actions to retake the government, Abbas has taken a decision during the Fatah Congress banning the new elected Fatah leaders from taking up governmental positions.
This decision may be contested by Fatah's new leaders. Abbas' message however was clear: The time has come to reassess Fatah's experience and learn from its defeat.
Sunday, August 9, 2009
Abbas reunites Fatah, prevents splits
Bethlehem, West Bank - By constantly intervening and presenting compromise solutions, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and Fatah leader Mahmoud Abbas succeeded in preventing a split within Fatah that has been meeting since August 4 to elect a new leadership.
Rivalries between Fatah leaders from Gaza and the West Bank have threatened divisions that would strengthen the Islamists and weaken the national, secular movement.
"A month ago we were on the verge of a split. Signs of that split were beginning to emerge. The world began to mourn Fatah and said it was over...But Fatah is indivisible," Abbas told Fatah some 2,000 members in a speech that contributed to Fatah's reunion.
Abbas' mediation and resolve to prevent splits, as well as his "unity" speech have all contributed to his emergence as Fatah's undisputed leader. Abbas, viewed as a weak leader by many members of his own movement, has asserted himself as a strong leader in control of the divided Fatah group.
"President Abbas has emerged from this conference a strong leader. He has succeeded in avoiding splits and achieving unity," Fatah local leader Ahmad Ghneim said after Abbas' speech which was interrupted by applause. Tears rolled down the cheecks of many Fatah members as Abbas instilled in them a sense of pride and determination to relead the Palestinians after being trounced by Hamas in the 2006 election.
Fatah unanimously chose Abbas as Fatah leader and gave him a new mandate for pursuing his peace policies with Israel.
Today Fatah elects its new leaders. Hamas has cracked down on Fatah members in Gaza and prevented more than 450 of them from travelling to the West Bank city of Bethlehem to take part in the Congress in what Fatah said was an attempt to weaken the secular group. These Fatah members, some detained by Hamas and others placed under house arrest, will however take part in the election process by phone, Fatah officials said.
A new Fatah leadership will be elected but will the new blood reflect a new mentality?
Rivalries between Fatah leaders from Gaza and the West Bank have threatened divisions that would strengthen the Islamists and weaken the national, secular movement.
"A month ago we were on the verge of a split. Signs of that split were beginning to emerge. The world began to mourn Fatah and said it was over...But Fatah is indivisible," Abbas told Fatah some 2,000 members in a speech that contributed to Fatah's reunion.
Abbas' mediation and resolve to prevent splits, as well as his "unity" speech have all contributed to his emergence as Fatah's undisputed leader. Abbas, viewed as a weak leader by many members of his own movement, has asserted himself as a strong leader in control of the divided Fatah group.
"President Abbas has emerged from this conference a strong leader. He has succeeded in avoiding splits and achieving unity," Fatah local leader Ahmad Ghneim said after Abbas' speech which was interrupted by applause. Tears rolled down the cheecks of many Fatah members as Abbas instilled in them a sense of pride and determination to relead the Palestinians after being trounced by Hamas in the 2006 election.
Fatah unanimously chose Abbas as Fatah leader and gave him a new mandate for pursuing his peace policies with Israel.
Today Fatah elects its new leaders. Hamas has cracked down on Fatah members in Gaza and prevented more than 450 of them from travelling to the West Bank city of Bethlehem to take part in the Congress in what Fatah said was an attempt to weaken the secular group. These Fatah members, some detained by Hamas and others placed under house arrest, will however take part in the election process by phone, Fatah officials said.
A new Fatah leadership will be elected but will the new blood reflect a new mentality?
Tuesday, August 4, 2009
Failure to reform may lead to an internal explosion
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas opened today the first Fatah Congress on Palestinian soil and the first in 20 years with a call for a "new start" that would help Fatah regain its leading role in Palestinian politics.
Sitting on a stage in a hall in the occupied West Bank city of Bethlehem infront of a portrait of the late Yasser Arafat, Abbas admitted mistakes were committed by Fatah such as losing touch with the people, weak performance, an impasse in the peace process, and absence of democratisation within the movement. He urged some 2,200 Fatah members to adopt reforms.
The moderate Palestinian President and Fatah leader reaffirmed resistance legitmised by international law as an option while asking his group members to give peace with Israel a chance, despite all the setbacks and impasses.
Posters of a child carrying a Kalashinkov were glued to the walls of the meeting hall, and Fatah's 1989 interim Charter adopts the eradication of Israel and armed struggle as the only means to liberate Palestine.
But the issue of negotiations with Israel was not a contested issue at the Fatah Congress. Most of the secular group's members back Abbas' call for focusing on popular, peaceful resistance against Jewish settlement expansion.
The issue of prime importance for the younger generation in Fatah was to end their exclusion from decision-making by the older, once-exiled leadership.
The mentality of exclusion of the achievements of the local leaders who have lived under occupation and led the first peaceful Intifada was reflected in Abbas' three-hour speech which left out any reference to the seven-year Intifada of 1987.
"I don't care about the Fatah political program or charter. What I want to see this conference do is give the local leadership the dominate role in the decision-making process. I want to see the local leaders get the majority of seats in the Central Committee (top Fatah body)," a Fatah local leader said.
Statements like this reflect that Fatah has learned little from its political mistakes that led to its defeat to Hamas in the 2006 election and military defeat in 2007 that resulted in losing Gaza to the Islamists. Fatah wants to return to power without a clear agenda. Analysts and diplomats believe Hamas would not forfeit Gaza and seeks to share power with Fatah in the West Bank. Factional rivalries and thirst for power will continue to precede national goals.
On Thursday, the Congress members, a mix of local and exiled members, will elect a new leadership to replace the old guard who have dominated the decision-making bodies of the group for the past 20 years.
The test of the secular group will come after the Congress.
Palestinians now have a leadership crisis. The Palestinians are divided between the two big groups Fatah and Hamas. The other smaller secular groups and indepedents have failed to win people to create a "third" way.
If Fatah fails to reform after the new leadership is elected, and if Hamas continues to control Gaza by force, many Palestinians, including the Fatah grassroots may lose confidence in leaders in both the West Bank and Gaza, and turn against them this time.
Sitting on a stage in a hall in the occupied West Bank city of Bethlehem infront of a portrait of the late Yasser Arafat, Abbas admitted mistakes were committed by Fatah such as losing touch with the people, weak performance, an impasse in the peace process, and absence of democratisation within the movement. He urged some 2,200 Fatah members to adopt reforms.
The moderate Palestinian President and Fatah leader reaffirmed resistance legitmised by international law as an option while asking his group members to give peace with Israel a chance, despite all the setbacks and impasses.
Posters of a child carrying a Kalashinkov were glued to the walls of the meeting hall, and Fatah's 1989 interim Charter adopts the eradication of Israel and armed struggle as the only means to liberate Palestine.
But the issue of negotiations with Israel was not a contested issue at the Fatah Congress. Most of the secular group's members back Abbas' call for focusing on popular, peaceful resistance against Jewish settlement expansion.
The issue of prime importance for the younger generation in Fatah was to end their exclusion from decision-making by the older, once-exiled leadership.
The mentality of exclusion of the achievements of the local leaders who have lived under occupation and led the first peaceful Intifada was reflected in Abbas' three-hour speech which left out any reference to the seven-year Intifada of 1987.
"I don't care about the Fatah political program or charter. What I want to see this conference do is give the local leadership the dominate role in the decision-making process. I want to see the local leaders get the majority of seats in the Central Committee (top Fatah body)," a Fatah local leader said.
Statements like this reflect that Fatah has learned little from its political mistakes that led to its defeat to Hamas in the 2006 election and military defeat in 2007 that resulted in losing Gaza to the Islamists. Fatah wants to return to power without a clear agenda. Analysts and diplomats believe Hamas would not forfeit Gaza and seeks to share power with Fatah in the West Bank. Factional rivalries and thirst for power will continue to precede national goals.
On Thursday, the Congress members, a mix of local and exiled members, will elect a new leadership to replace the old guard who have dominated the decision-making bodies of the group for the past 20 years.
The test of the secular group will come after the Congress.
Palestinians now have a leadership crisis. The Palestinians are divided between the two big groups Fatah and Hamas. The other smaller secular groups and indepedents have failed to win people to create a "third" way.
If Fatah fails to reform after the new leadership is elected, and if Hamas continues to control Gaza by force, many Palestinians, including the Fatah grassroots may lose confidence in leaders in both the West Bank and Gaza, and turn against them this time.
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