Fatah Convention Shows True Colors

Members of the Fatah party have gathered for a general assembly for the first time in twenty years. The conference will likely impact the future leadership of the party and show how “moderate” the party really is.

Khaled Abu Tomeh wrote about the lessons Fatah learned when the last Hamas-Fatah election took place, people are fed up with the corruption. However, many view the loss as due to their more moderate views toward Israel. That is about to change.

Fatah is therefore unlikely to emerge stronger and younger from its sixth general

assembly. By adopting a hard-line approach toward the conflict and blocking reforms,

Fatah is sending a message both to the Palestinians and the world that it‘s still not

ready for any form of compromise or reforms. As such, Fatah remains part of the

problem, and not part of the solution.

Rather than make progress, the party is radicalizing. Abbas, who is accused of only bringing in his own supporters, has propped up a militant anti-Israel friend as a potential successor. He is holding to a Palestinian “right to resistance” (that is code for terrorism) and is silently allowing the al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigade to continue.

The 2,200 delegates to the Beit Lechem (Bethlehem) conference pose a threat to whatever stability exists in the Palestinian establishment. They may decide to go to war with Hamas. They may decide to give up on Gaza completely. They may decide to give in to Hamas demands and partner against Israel.

A lot is up in the air. The only thing that is sure so far is that Abbas is no moderate. Fatah is no friend of Israel. And the Israelis must prepare to defend against future waves of terror.