Fatah Convenes
The first Fatah "congress" in 20 years is over and the European Union (EU) has transferred another 90 million euros to the Palestinian Authority (PA) treasury. The United States continues to provide money and equipment to the Palestinian army. And the Western vision of a "two state solution" is undimmed by the reality of the voices and resolutions of the Palestinians themselves. The reality is:
"Resistance" received new life from the delegates. "Although peace is our choice, we reserve the right to resistance, legitimate under international law," Abu Mazen told the assembled. Senior Fatah official Jibril Rajoub, asked about a large picture of a boy armed with a rifle prominently displayed at the conference, said Fatah, "has not relinquished the option of armed struggle against Israel," calling it a "tool at the Palestinians' disposal."
The so-called "right of return" was reiterated in the conference platform that also called Fatah a "national liberation movement whose goal is to remove and defeat the occupation." In a statement, Fatah said, "we won't abandon any of our options, and we believe that resistance, in all forms, is a legitimate right of occupied people in confronting their occupiers." Lest one think that only the territories of the West Bank and Gaza are considered "occupied," the platform noted the "right" of Palestinians to return to their original villages inside Israel.
The Al-Aksa Martyrs Brigades, which Abu Mazen claimed had been disbanded, were endorsed by the congress as the Fatah military wing. In an interview, activist Kifah Radaydeh said the PA would resume violence against Israel when Fatah is "capable," and "according to what seems right... It has been said that we are negotiating for peace, but our goal has never been peace. Peace is a means; the goal is Palestine." Radaydeh reaffirmed that "armed struggle" will continue depending on how "capable" the PA forces are. Where does that put the loyalty of U.S.-trained Palestinian soldiers?
The younger delegates were much more strident than the older ones - a result of more than 15 years of Fatah-led, EU-funded schooling, portending ill for the future. At a "student rally" in honor of Abu Mazen, young people named Haifa, Jaffa and Tel Aviv as Palestinian cities for which they would be happy to shed blood.
Abu Mazen - backed by a Fatah resolution - declared there would be no talks with Israel until AFTER a complete settlement freeze, lifting the blockade of Gaza and the release of all Palestinian prisoners held by Israel and 12 other preconditions.
Palestinian leaders warned Arab states not to normalize ties with Israel, as President Obama has requested. "Normalization... before the occupation ends in the Palestinian areas is the last thing that the Palestinians should have to experience," said a former Palestinian ambassador.
A new Fatah resolution defines Jerusalem as the "eternal capital of Palestine, the Arab world and the Islamic and Christian worlds." Fatah pledged to continue to make "sacrifices until Jerusalem returns to the Palestinians void of settlers and settlements."
The fact is that in hopes of drawing support away from Hamas, Fatah is increasingly and publicly drawn to its radical roots. And the reality for American and European policy makers who think they have the answer to the conflict, is that Fatah, no less than Hamas, believes in Palestine from the River to the Sea and "void" of Jews.
Far from being an appropriate interlocutor for a "two state solution," Fatah is increasingly and publicly not willing to limit its nationalist aspirations to a rump split state alongside and in between Israel and Jordan, and appears to believe there will be no international pressure to restrain itself - rhetorically or otherwise.
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