Palestinians: When Fatah Becomes the Problem

by Khaled Abu Toameh • November 8, 2016 at 5:00 am

The upcoming conference coincides with mounting tensions in Fatah, the result of internal bickering and growing discontent with Abbas's autocratic rule.
Since its founding 50-some-odd years ago, the secular Fatah faction and its leaders have brought nothing but disaster, not only to Palestinians, but to other Arabs as well.
The business of Fatah is relevant to the entire international community, including Israel. Why? Because Fatah dominates the PA, which is supposed to be Israel's peace partner and which is funded and armed by the US, EU and other international donors.
Hamas will continue to exploit Fatah's corruption in order to gain more popularity among the Palestinians. The truth, however, is that neither Hamas nor Fatah has fulfilled repeated promises to improve the living conditions of the people.
Abbas and his old-guard cronies will continue to clutch onto power and resist demands for real reforms. And they will continue to blame Israel, and everyone else, for the misery of their people, misery they themselves have wrought.

All indications are that Mahmoud Abbas (right) is hoping to take advantage of the upcoming Fatah conference to rid himself once and for all of Mohamed Dahlan (left) and his other rivals in Fatah. (Image source: World Economic Forum)

Barring last-minute changes, the Palestinian Fatah faction, which is headed by Palestinian Authority (PA) President Mahmoud Abbas, is scheduled to hold its Seventh Conference in Ramallah on November 29. This will be the first gathering of its kind since August 2009.

The upcoming conference coincides with mounting tensions in Fatah, the result of internal bickering and growing discontent with Abbas's autocratic rule. Some 1,300 delegates to the conference will be asked to vote for two of Fatah's key decision-making bodies -- the 23-member Central Committee and the 132-member Revolutionary Council.

Palestinian political analysts predict that the Fatah conference will deepen divisions among the faction's rival camps, particularly in the wake of Abbas's continued efforts to eliminate his critics. Abbas, they say, decided to convene the parley in a bid to tighten his grip on Fatah and block the emergence of new leaders.