Al-Ayaam, Ramallah, November 29
In light of the upcoming seventh National Conference of the Palestinian Liberation Organization, tensions between the PLO’s two strongmen, Mahmoud Abbas and Mohmmad Dahlan, have severely intensified. Dahlan’s men are making use of the Conference to discredit Abbas and undermine his leadership of the PLO. Abbas, meanwhile, is attempting to silence Dahlan’s voice and push his supporters to the sidelines of the conference. There is absolutely no doubt in my mind that this internal strife is damaging for the Palestinian cause as a whole. When two strong Palestinian leaders waste their time and energy and bashing each other, the result is less attention devoted to fighting what Palestinians truly ought to fight for: ending the occupation, stopping the settlements, and achieving national unity. It is also curious to think about the reason for this battle. Is it motivated by ideological differences? Personal dislike? Surely, both Abbas and Dahlan hold similar political worldviews. Abbas unequivocally opposes armed resistance in the Intifada. Dahlan, similarly, served as the head of the Preventive Security, and closely collaborated with his Israeli counterparts against members of Hamas or the Islamic Jihad. On the personal front, we must not forget that both men were once close allies. Under Arafat’s rule, both Abbas and Dahlan worked closely together to establish a new Palestinian leadership. Abbas even insisted that Dahlan be appointed minister in Arafat’s cabinet, a request the latter dismissed. Therefore, the quarrel between the two men remains a conundrum to me. Other than ego, what else guides their actions? What will be left for the Palestinian people once this dispute is over, other than a further weakening of their unity? The Palestinians need strong and united leaders, not narcissistic autocrats. – Izzadin Ahmad Ibrahim