Anxiety has emerged within the Palestinian Authority (PA) leadership in Ramallah following ongoing efforts by rival Palestinian factions, most notably Hamas and Mohammed Dahlan’s camp, to form a political alliance ahead of the elections for the legislative council scheduled for November 28, several Palestinian sources told The Jerusalem Post on Tuesday.
A Palestinian figure who attended the Cairo anti-Abbas coalition meeting confirmed that no final decision has been made but added that the aim was clear. “We want to bring Abbas down; we want to end his dominance,” he said.
Leaders and representatives from several Palestinian factions convened in Cairo last week to discuss a possible coalition, which was described as a “wide national list.” The proposed alliance was said to include, apart from Hamas and Dahlan’s Democratic Reform Bloc, Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ), Nasser al-Qudwa’s National Democratic Forum, the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP), and other groups.
Alliance prospect sparks concern about Fatah, Abbas rule
As part of the PA’s counter-effort to prevent this plan and block Hamas from gaining political influence by joining other political forces, the sources pointed to a Fatah delegation headed by PA deputy Hussein al-Sheikh, which visited Cairo on Monday, where discussions were held with Dahlan’s associate Samir Mashharawi and possibly with other faction representatives.
In an interview with Arab media after the meeting with Sheikh, Mashharawi said that “unifying the Fatah movement can only be achieved through actions.” He added that he had presented a set of points during the meeting to submit to President Abbas, who makes the decisions, he said.
One Palestinian source close to Dahlan’s faction said, “Abu Mazen’s Fatah is now threatened politically because it know the public views it as corrupt and wants change.”
He noted that despite years of animosity between Dahlan and Hamas, shifting interests, and particularly Dahlan’s recent role in Gaza ceasefire arrangements, have brought the two camps closer.
There have been recent attempts by the Egyptians to reconcile the two leaders
Dahlan is considered a tough and challenging political rival to Mahmoud Abbas. The longstanding tension between them has increased over the years since Abbas ousted Dahlan from the Fatah movement’s institutions, leading him to establish his own separate faction.
The source confirmed that there have been recent attempts by the Egyptians to reconcile the two leaders.
These developments have fueled questions among Palestinians, such as whether Abbas will still hold the vote in November or delay it if he perceives a real threat to his power.
During a briefing with Palestinian journalists a few days ago, Sheikh said that the elections would go ahead in November, stressing that they must include Jerusalem and Gaza. He also said Hamas could not run in the elections under its name or its official figures.