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Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas
Last update - 14:40 30/07/2008
Abbas vows to dismantle PA if Israel frees Hamas prisoners for Shalit
By Uri Blau, Haaretz Correspondent
Tags: Palestinian Authority, Israel 

If Israel releases Hamas members of the Palestinian parliament as part of a deal for the return of kidnapped soldier Gilad Shalit, PA President Mahmoud Abbas will dismantle the Palestinian Authority, Abbas warned Israel last week.

Abbas sent the warning to GOC Central Command Maj. Gen. Gadi Shamni via Hussein al-Sheikh, head of the PA's civil affairs department, who is responsible for coordinating with Israel on anything involving the West Bank and Gaza Strip. Al-Sheikh, who told Shamni that this was a "personal message" from Abbas, stressed that the Palestinian leader did not speak merely of "resigning," but of "dismantling the PA."

Israel arrested dozens of Hamas politicians, including ministers and parliament members, shortly after Hamas kidnapped Shalit on June 25, 2006. Many have since been released by order of a military court, but about 40 remain in Israeli jails.
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The message from Abbas was highly unusual, since publicly, he tries to portray himself as the leader of all the Palestinians - for instance, by repeatedly demanding that Israel release all its Palestinian prisoners.

However, after Hamas seized control of Gaza in June 2007, Abbas dismantled the Fatah-Hamas unity government and began waging a political and military battle against Hamas in the West Bank.

Over the last year, he has rebuilt the PA's security services with the help of America's security coordinator for the peace process, Keith Dayton, and both the PA and Israel have been actively engaged in arresting Hamas members and closing down Hamas institutions in the West Bank. Just this week, the PA arrested more than 160 Hamas members in the West Bank, and Hamas threatened yesterday that if the arrests continue, it is liable to stage a coup in the West Bank as well.

Abbas evidently fears that the release of senior Hamas politicians in exchange for Shalit would strengthen the Islamic organization's civilian infrastructure in the West Bank.

According to an Israeli source well-versed in what is happening in the PA, publication of Abbas' threat to dismantle the PA if Israel releases the Hamas parliamentarians is liable to discredit him massively in the eyes of many Palestinians.

In addition, the source noted, this threat creates another obstacle to Israel's efforts to reach an agreement for Shalit's release.

In exchange for Shalit, Hamas is demanding that Israel free 1,000 Palestinian prisoners, including many who were responsible for major terror attacks. Hamas has sent Israel a list of 450 specific prisoners that it wants released, but Israel has thus far approved only 70. As far as is known, the Hamas list does not include the parliamentarians and ministers whom Israel arrested.

A Hamas delegation went to Cairo yesterday to continue the indirect negotiations over Shalit, which are being mediated by Egypt.

Since his election as PA president in January 2005, Abbas has repeatedly threatened to resign - sometimes due to lack of progress in Israeli-Palestinian negotiations, or due to internal power struggles within his Fatah movement. However, he has never yet carried out his threat.

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      1.   Would anyone notice? 03:27  |  Slibovitz 30/07/08
      2.   There will be no living with Tosefta now! 03:34  |  Aphemia 30/07/08
      3.   So Abbas is Saying that Democracy is Not for Palestinians 03:41  |  Reader 30/07/08
      4.   is he using reverse pyschology? 03:56  |  vik 30/07/08
      5.   The final blow falls 04:08  |  Mark Lincoln 30/07/08
      6.   If you were the president of the PA what would you do? 04:11  |  Samer 30/07/08
      7.   Who Cares, Abbas and The PA Have Acomplished Nothing 04:16  |  Lev Bronstein 30/07/08
      8.   For simpletons: a rock and a hard place 04:17  |  Joe Sittizen 30/07/08
      9.   palestinian double delight 04:35  |  bashar 30/07/08
      10.   Hat`s off to Johnboy for making this analysis... 04:58  |  BBSNews 30/07/08
      11.   Stupidity all Around 05:42  |  Ron 30/07/08
      12.   GOOD IDEA! BUT WHY WAIT? DISMANTLE NOW. 05:48  |  jewish doctor 30/07/08
      13.   Oh dear, short-sightedness rules the day again.... 05:55  |  Johnboy 30/07/08
      14.   tempting offer 06:09  |  zionist forever 30/07/08
      15.   #7 Ask yourself who made this info public, bashar 06:15  |  Johnboy 30/07/08
      16.   Can Abbas Dissolve the PA? 06:15  |  Reader 30/07/08
      17.   Abbas who? 06:16  |  Harold 30/07/08
      18.   Mark Lincoln 06:23  |  Joseph 30/07/08
      19.   Abbas? 06:30  |  Victor 30/07/08
      20.   Ignore the old fool. 06:31  |  Che Vive 30/07/08
      21.   First time I applause Abbas ! 06:38  |  Boris 30/07/08
      22.   Mark Lincoln, agreed, except on one point 06:51  |  Ibrahim 30/07/08
      23.   PROMISES, PROMISES. 07:06  |  B MEZRITCH 30/07/08
      24.   You can`t discredit someone that is bankrupt! 07:06  |  redmike 30/07/08
      25.   Abbas will dismantle PA? 07:18  |  cheer4 30/07/08
      26.   and then what? 07:29  |  inisrael 30/07/08
      27.   One can understand frustration with way negotiations proceeding.. 07:30  |  Smadar 30/07/08
      28.   Abbas = Israeli agent 07:35  |  Ismail 30/07/08
      29.   Mark Lincoln #5 07:36  |  TonyL 30/07/08
      30.   #16 Not legally, no, Reader 08:02  |  Johnboy 30/07/08
      31.   Johnboy 08:03  |  TonyL 30/07/08
      32.   The Ultimate Victims: Palestinians who want peace 08:10  |  Jimmy 30/07/08
      33.   another farce unfolds and dissolves 08:22  |  victor hardman 30/07/08
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      36.   Mahmoud Abbas is an Israeli agent 08:52  |  aklfdja;j 30/07/08
      37.   Please, dismantle the corrupt, useless PA 09:01  |  peacelover 30/07/08
      38.   Abbas is an Idiot 09:16  |  ID 30/07/08
      39.   Abbas: Grovelling Uncle Tom and Palestinian Traitor 09:28  |  Clickfool 30/07/08
      40.   Abbas vows to dismantle PA 09:51  |  maoriboy 30/07/08
      41.   If Hamas with their"Islam to obliterate Israel"charter takes over 10:02  |  PETER SM 30/07/08
      42.   Abbas,just one of the arabs with an big bank account 10:03  |  Hans 30/07/08
      43.   #28 Ismail 10:04  |  Daniela 30/07/08
      44.   Obvious solution to strengthen the PA 10:14  |  Binyamin Dissen 30/07/08
      45.   #31 TonyL and his ignorance 10:15  |  Johnboy 30/07/08
      46.   This quisling should have resigned after losing elections 10:15  |  Chanalau, Tova 30/07/08
      47.   Clickfool delivers the verdict of the England Islamists 10:16  |  obel 30/07/08
      48.   #31, Tony L 10:30  |  Cipora Julianna Kohn 30/07/08
      49.   For Obel # 47 10:43  |  Clickfool 30/07/08
      50.   Best reason yet to make a deal 10:45  |  Natallie Durson 30/07/08
      51.   #44 Agreed, Binyamin Dissen 10:46  |  Johnboy 30/07/08
      52.   Is the P.A. a ?Peace Partner?? 10:47  |  Jean Van Daem 30/07/08
      53.   Who is he to dictate to us? 10:48  |  Nicole 30/07/08
      54.   That won`t work, Cipora # 48 10:49  |  Clickfool 30/07/08
      55.   # 32 - Jimmy 10:49  |  Muhyddine 30/07/08
      56.   The clickfool 10:52  |  Hans 30/07/08
      57.   We`ve made our bed and now we have to lie in it 10:55  |  Tzfonit 30/07/08
      58.   Cipora Julianna Kohn 11:03  |  TonyL 30/07/08
      59.   #48 Speak for yourself, Cipora. 11:04  |  Johnboy 30/07/08
      60.   Crazy 11:09  |  Chris 30/07/08
      61.   #3 vik you make me sick 11:14  |  Shai 30/07/08
      62.   YOU BETTER DISMANTLE IT NOW ABBAS 11:15  |  indrajaya 30/07/08
      63.   Vote early and often to dismantle PA!