Two incidents that took place this week at Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem have raised concerns among Palestinian officials and followers of the oldest and largest Palestinian faction. Many fear that Fatah is on the decline.
A woman attending Tarawih prayers at Al-Aqsa Mosque last week took out the yellow Fatah flag, only to have it pulled away from her by a young man.
On Tuesday, a similar incident occurred at the same mosque when a young Palestinian man tried to raise the Fatah flag but was pelted with plastic water bottles while people around him cursed at him.
These and other similar incidents reflect widespread anger aimed at the ruling Palestinian party.
Many analysts say this is indicative of a deeper problem: people’s resentment toward the Palestinian Authority and its leader, Mahmoud Abbas.
A Palestinian public opinion poll conducted in March in the West Bank and Gaza Strip continues to show a decline in the popularity of the Fatah movement and its leadership. It is noticeable that the drop in Fatah’s popularity has occurred in both the West Bank and the Gaza Strip, though the drop has been greater in the latter.
Dimitri Diliani, the spokesperson of the Democratic Reformist faction within Fatah, blames PA President Abbas for the decline in Fatah’s popularity. Diliani told The Media Line that the Fatah movement, in recent years, has faced mounting criticism and opposition from the Palestinian people due to several factors.
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“Firstly, the Fatah movement’s political platform, which has been based on the two-state solution, has been rendered obsolete by the actions of the Israeli state, such as the expansion of Israeli settlements that undermined the possibility of a viable Palestinian state. As a result, the Fatah movement’s political program has been seen as ineffective,” Diliani says. He also states that the PA’s failure to “govern effectively and provide basic services to the Palestinian people” is another reason for its declining popularity.
“Corruption, nepotism, and a lack of transparency have all contributed to the PA’s poor reputation. In addition, the PA’s diplomatic failures and its strained relations with other Arab countries have further eroded its credibility in the eyes of the Palestinian people,” says Diliani.
People view the PA and Fatah as one, according to Diliani, explaining that the failure to achieve any political achievement, a bad economy, the continued crackdown on political opponents, lack of democratic institutions, and rampant corruption greatly impact how Palestinians perceive Fatah and the PA.
The Palestinian Center for Policy and Survey Research found that 82% of those surveyed think there is corruption in the PA institutions, while 71% think there is corruption in the public institutions administered by Hamas. The poll found that 63% believe the PA is a burden on the Palestinian people. The poll also found that 78% of Palestinians want Abbas to resign, and just 19% think he should remain in office.
Kayed Ma’ari, Fatah’s spokesman in the West Bank, told The Media Line that the street looks negatively at his movement for several reasons.
“There is more than one direct reason for what’s happening, the first related to the expansion of Hamas and the Islamic Movement in Israel in Jerusalem. There is a presence and many activities undertaken by both sides in Jerusalem during the month of Ramadan, and in Al-Aqsa Mosque in particular,” says Ma’ari. He also blames Israel for Fatah’s woes. “Also, the occupation policies have undermined the authority and Fatah’s ability to provide beneficial services to people, such as housing, taxes, and services, which weakens its existence and thus decreases and affects its popularity,” says Ma’ari.
The two Gaza-based armed movements are seen by many Palestinians as defenders of the cause, while the PA President Abbas, who backs negotiations, so-called peaceful popular resistance, and security coordination with Israel, is someone who has “damaged” the Palestinian cause.
The soaring popularity of Hamas, the second-largest Palestinian group that governs the Gaza Strip, and Palestinian Islamic Jihad in the West Bank worries the PA, which fears that the growth of other factions threatens its existence.
Despite his plummeting popularity and refusal to hold elections or name a successor, the international community still views the 87-year-old Abbas as the leader of the Palestinian cause and a crucial partner in the peace process with Israel, which ground to a halt more than a decade ago.
President Abbas is perceived by many to lack the charisma of his predecessor Yasser Arafat. He has been accused of ruling with an iron fist and not having a personal connection with the people.
“The unpopularity of President Mahmoud Abbas has been a significant factor in the Fatah movement’s decline in popularity. Recent polls have shown that almost 80% of the Palestinian people want him to leave office. The president’s perceived responsibility for the worsening situation in Palestine, including his failure to hold political elections for the past 17 years, has made him a lightning rod for criticism and frustration,” says Diliani.
The more than 15-year division between Fatah and Hamas, and the internal strife within Fatah, have weakened the movement and hurt its standing among Palestinians.
“Unless the “traditional” Fatah movement led by Abbas can address these issues, present a coherent plan to reconcile with the more powerful Reformist Faction, and put forward an effective strategy for the Palestinian people, its standing in Palestinian politics will continue to diminish in favor of the Reformist Democratic Faction in Fatah,” says Diliani.