PA President Abbas Suspends All Cooperation with Israel…

Critics of Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas are expressing doubt that his Friday night proclamation is as unconditional as it sounds. Following a meeting of officials in Ramallah, Abbas said, “In the name of the Palestinian leadership, I declare the suspension of all contacts with the occupying country on all levels until Israel revokes all its measures against our Palestinian people and Jerusalem, particularly at Al-Aqsa Mosque, and preserve the historic status quo at Al-Aqsa Mosque.” Following his statement, many expressed doubt that Abbas would actually be able to sever security cooperation at a time when his nemesis Hamas is increasing its presence in the West Bank – the area ostensibly controlled by Abbas’s Fatah – and the overthrow of Abbas himself is a frequently talked-about goal of his enemies. Nevertheless, on Sunday morning, Abbas asserted that the suspension of ties with Israel includes security cooperation, a move he has threatened in the past but during his ten-years heading the PA has never done so. The WAFA news agency reported that Abbas also announced he has allocated $25 million “to help the steadfastness of the Palestinians in occupied East Jerusalem,” but no one has explained how the funding would be used. Abbas, whom 65% of the Palestinian people want to see removed from leadership according to recent polls, used the occasion to call for all Palestinian factions to put aside their internecine fighting and unite “for Jerusalem and Al-Aqsa.”