From Khalid Amayreh in West Bank
AL-KHALIL, (PIC)– Veteran Fatah leader Nabil Amr has lashed out at the current Palestinian leadership in Ramallah, describing it as a virtual beggar, which „has no choice except taking handouts from Washington and its allies.“
„If any one tells you that the Palestinian Authority has a free will of its own, don’t believe him. They may shout, prance, make noises and utter some angry words, but at the end of the day they have no choice but heed the instructions coming from Washington.“
Amr, who was speaking during a private meeting recently in Dura, Al-Khalil district, in the southern West Bank, said the problem with the PA was not that it was indulging in fruitless talks with Israel but rather its reluctance to tell the truth to the Palestinian people.
„They say they would never do a certain thing unless Israel does this or that, but eventually, they change their mind and do the very same thing which they rejected yesterday.
„They are not free to say ‚No‘ when ’no‘ must be said. They feel they are coerced to deal with all initiatives and proposals lest they lose financial assistance.“
Amr castigated the government of Salam Fayyad, calling it „a mere facilitator“ of western aid.
„They just receive money from western donors, pave the roads with asphalt, give salaries to civil servants and try to improve the living conditions of the people as much as possible. That is all. As to the political issue, it is a distant afterthought.“
He further suggested that Fatah was in no position to challenge the Fayyad authority because „he (Fayyad) holds the purse.“
Amr argued that the Obama administration seemed unable to force Israel to meet the minimal requirements for a genuine and dignified peace in occupied Palestine.
„It seems to me that the Obama administration wants to compensate its failure to force Israel to abandon its insolence and rejectionism by exerting more pressure on the vanquished supplicant, the Palestinian Authority.“
President Obama recently praised the PA leadership in Ramallah, reasserting his continued commitment to the creation of a Palestinian state. However, Obama never made clear the borders of such a state, prompting many Palestinian observers to charge that the White House was seeking the liquidation of the Palestinian cause under the rubric of statehood.
Amr ruled out a speedy reconciliation between Fatah and Hamas, saying that there were „centers of power“ on both sides that showed no interest in genuine reconciliation.
„There are people on both sides with concerted interests that are incompatible with true national unity.“
„In the final analysis, Fatah’s decision is not in its hands, but rather in the hands of powers much greater than Fatah. That is the crux of the matter.“
He added that a visit by PA Chairman Mahmoud Abbas to Gaza wouldn’t achieve a real breakthrough.
„He would go there, have a dinner with the leaders of Hamas, and return to Ramallah. That is all.“
He added that the matter was much bigger than „Fatah and Hamas.“
„I think that even if both sides signed the Egyptian document, nothing would really change on the ground, and things would return to square-1 the very next day. They would argue about every letter and comma in the Egyptian document.“
The prominent Fatah leader, who was shunned by the Ramallah leadership following the Fatah Convention in Bethlehem last year, argued that „there is no solution for the Palestinian-Israeli conflict in the foreseeable future.“
„Israel is an arrogant, insolent country that views itself above international law.“
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