Hamas official pushes for PLO leadership

A move to unseat Palestinian National Authority President Mahmoud Abbas as chair of the Palestinian Liberation Organisation, (PLO) would have far-reaching implications for Israel and the United States – and could be a severe, if not fatal blow to any further peace moves in the region.

The person reportedly interested in succeeding him is Khaled Mashaal, who heads the political bureau of Hamas, a faction currently in rivalry to Abbas’ Fatah Party – and there lies the problem.

While the PLO is recognised by the US and Israel as the legitimate negotiating partner on behalf of the Palestinians, Hamas, which controls the Gaza Strip, is branded as a terrorist organisation by those countries (and a number of others as well) and they will not negotiate with terrorists.

Neither Washington nor Jerusalem make any distinction between Hamas’ armed wing, which periodically fires rockets from the Gaza Strip into Israel, and its political wing, even though Syrian-based Mashaal does not reside in the Gaza Strip and has reportedly visited there only once.

Pressure to remove Abbas is coming from some Gulf states and more worryingly for Fatah, from Jordan, which in the past has been its strongest backer. Mashaal has reportedly held three recent meetings with Jordanian King Abdullah II, who believes that direct negotiations with Israel and a two-state solution are the only ways to achieve peace and stability in the Middle East.

The situation is complicated by questions over whether Abbas has any real legitimacy as head of the PLO. He was elected to the position in 2005 and his term officially expired in 2009, but since then no election has been held. In fact he has a rival for the job in Azis Duwaik, the Speaker of the Palestinian Legislative Council, who is recognised as the chairman by Hamas in the Gaza Strip.

Mashaal is believed to be ready to resign his Hamas position if he gains the PLO leadership, but whether that would satisfy Israel and the US is doubtful. However, an American source within Israel believed he would not succeed in the attempt.

“Abbas is a known figure around the world and his prestige has increased since he gained international recognition for Palestine as a state at the United Nations last year. After all, Yasser Arafat headed the PLO for years without elections,” the source said.

The moves come as the British Consul General in Jerusalem, Sir Vincent Fean, in an interview with the Palestinian news agency, Ma’an, said 2013 would be the decisive year for the two-state solution.

“The Palestinian National Authority has the right to have full control over the Palestinian territory,” Ma’an quoted Sir Vincent as saying, adding that the British diplomat expressed “deep concern” over Israel’s policy of expanding settlements on the West Bank.