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Last update - 08:41 29/09/2008
Discontented Fatah politicos consider launching third intifada
By Avi Issacharoff and Amos Harel, Haaretz Correspondents
Tags: Hamas, Fatah, Israel News 

In recent weeks, senior defense officials have been singing the praises of their Palestinian colleagues. After years of suspicion about the Palestinian Authority, Israeli officials are now convinced that the PA is resolved to deal with Hamas, which is threatening to take over the West Bank as it did the Gaza Strip.

Palestinian officials admit to receiving assistance from Israel and the United States and have arrested hundreds of Hamas activists and closed down dozens of its charity organizations.

But the picture is more complicated than that. While Fatah's security professionals seek conflict with Hamas, the movement's political faction wishes to reconcile with Hamas and redirect the anger at Israel.
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Eight years after the second intifada's eruption, the controversy in the PA could lead to a renewed conflict between Israelis and Palestinians in the West Bank. The recent incidents between extremist settlers and Palestinians could contribute to the conflagration.

Many Palestinians describe June 14, 2007 - the day Hamas forcibly ousted the last Fatah forces from the Gaza Strip - as the day the second intifada died. The Hamas takeover of Gaza jump-started several processes, mainly the dismantling of Fatah's Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades in the West Bank, once the backbone of the violent struggle against Israel.

Meanwhile, Hamas has agreed to a temporary cease-fire with Israel and stopped the rocket fire from Gaza. But Fatah activists say that they see the lack of progress in the peace talks, coupled with continued construction in the settlements and increased settler violence, as a recipe for renewed conflagration. This is exacerbated by their growing dissatisfaction with the PA's functioning and its helplessness in the face of Israel's infringements on Palestinian interests, whereas Hamas maintains complete control of Gaza.

Last week, Kadoura Fares, a leader of the Palestinian "peace coalition," called on PA President Mahmoud Abbas to halt the talks with Israel immediately. Fares, a key Fatah leader from the generation below Abbas, made this statement at a conference on the Geneva Initiative in Tel Aviv. He said it was inconceivable for Abbas to keep talking with Israel while construction in the settlements continued.

Fares' statement reflects the dissatisfaction felt by many Fatah members of his generation in the West Bank, such as Hussam Khader of the Balata refugee camp, a key figure in both intifadas. Younger Fatah members - people once active in the Al-Aqsa Brigades, who are in Palestinian custody because they have not yet received amnesty from Israel - also warn of an approaching confrontation with Israel.

Israeli intelligence officials do not believe the West Bank is ripe for a third intifada, because the Palestinian public is still weary of the suffering caused by the last round. It is doubtful that Fatah could sweep the masses into another violent struggle against Israel, they say.

But the continued friction with the settlers - and certainly a Jewish terror attack against Arabs in the West Bank - could provide the spark, just as opposition leader Ariel Sharon's visit to Temple Mount did eight years ago. That could be pretext enough for Fatah militants, who have been hiding their weapons under their mattresses, to aim them at Israelis once again.


Related articles:
  • Livni to Qureia: Israel will respond with force to Palestinian terror
  • Hamas and Fatah step up Gaza power struggle amid renewed violence
  • Hamas warns of uprising against Fatah in West Bank
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      1.   Angels! 02:20  |  Rigma 29/09/08
      2.   inti 02:46  |  consiglieri 29/09/08
      3.   Meanwhile . . . 03:05  |  Mark of Lewiston 29/09/08
      4.   Israeli settlers, most immoral terrorists, go home to Europe 03:13  |  anti-racist 29/09/08
      5.   i said it`s coming and i stick by it 03:19  |  VIPER 29/09/08
      6.   let them launch a 3rd, 4th and 5th intifada 03:50  |  Richard S 29/09/08
      7.   INTAFADS HAVE FAILED MISERABLY BEFORE, SO WHAT? 03:57  |  jewish doctor 29/09/08
      8.   Lets All Not Forget Barak Gave the Pals Weapons. 03:59  |  Shepherd 29/09/08
      9.   Viper, jokes aside... 04:11  |  Ben 29/09/08
      10.   to anti-racist #4 06:22  |  Harriet 29/09/08
      11.   Our total faith in our legitimate rights on the Land of ... 08:06  |  Jean Van Daem 29/09/08
      12.   What third intafada the 2nd hasn`t finished 08:08  |  Adrian de Klerk 29/09/08
      13.   Diplomacy, then violence. 08:12  |  Jean Van Daem 29/09/08
      14.   Abbas`s Uncle Toms 10:16  |  Clickfool 29/09/08
      15.   I see it 10:34  |  Hastaroth 29/09/08
      16.   They Better Not Even Consider It 10:34  |  Yosemite 29/09/08
      17.   #5 VIPER of course you`ll stick by it 10:35  |  * BEN JABO 29/09/08
      18.   The legacy of Arafat the Egyptian lives on.walk away 10:36  |  PETER SM 29/09/08
      19.   Calls for a new Intifada NOT justified at this point of time..... 10:58  |  Swiss (Dino) 29/09/08
      20.   Clickfool`s `Tom` 11:01  |  The Judge 29/09/08
      21.   Clickfool - An easy question for you 11:22  |  * BEN JABO 29/09/08
      22.   Let`s hope Israel uses it`s resources PROPERLY for a change 11:37  |  Harvey 29/09/08
      23.   Still spreading the lie that Sharon`s visit started the Intifada 11:47  |  I 29/09/08
      24.   Next round the IDF will allow the settlers a free hand 12:14  |  Allon 29/09/08
      25.   Viper: What about the day after? 12:15  |  David G 29/09/08
      26.   # 16 to yosemite re: what you fail to consider 12:49  |  eric 29/09/08
      27.   clickfool accuses abbas of being an uncle tom 12:50  |  brighton rock 29/09/08
      28.   swiss dino i recommend swiss muslims start an intifada 12:53  |  swisswatch 29/09/08
      29.   To Ben Jabo and his Post 17 13:20  |  Whiskey Rivers 29/09/08
      30.   When did the 2nd one end??? 13:57  |  Free Gilad Shalit 29/09/08
      31.   bad idea 14:10  |  rm 29/09/08
      32.   Palestinian aspiriations always include VIOLENCE 14:16  |  Avi 29/09/08
      33.   The collaborators have gone so far they will now have to fear for 14:26  |  lakshmi 29/09/08
      34.   To Clickfool, be glad he`s an uncle Tom 14:26  |  Avi 29/09/08
      35.   19Dino, anointed spokesman for "International Community"? 15:00  |  I 29/09/08
      36.   Lakshmi started a new, softer style of propaganda 15:11  |  I 29/09/08
      37.   A litany of Palestineian resistance (part 1) 15:14  |  Yonatan 29/09/08
      38.   A litany of Palestinian resistance (part 2) 15:23  |  Yonatan 29/09/08
      39.   For Jean van Daem # 11 15:24  |  Clickfool 29/09/08
      40.   Ben Jabo complains about another Zionist`s post # 21 15:31  |  Clickfool 29/09/08
      41.   For Brighton Rock # 27 15:35  |  Clickfool 29/09/08
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      44.   There is an error in the Arabic 16:19  |  Miche Norman 29/09/08
      45.   palestinians start third intefada at their own risk 16:29  |  zionist forever 29/09/08
      46.   God forbid, that`s the worst scenario - we all have to strive to 17:00  |  ivo 29/09/08
      47.   Violence will be met with more violence 17:20  |  B (The other one) 29/09/08
      48.   Eric 17:24  |  Yosemite 29/09/08
      49.   #29 Whiskey Rivers 17:33  |  * BEN JABO 29/09/08
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      51.   Pals: "We`ll shoot ourselves in the foot a 3rd time!" 17:59  |  Joe Sittizen 29/09/08
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      53.   #29 Whiskey Rivers - We`ve been through this B 4 18:40  |  * BEN JABO 29/09/08
      54.   Clickfool # 14 20:45  |  sabra 29/09/08
      55.   Another myth exposed 21:02  |  Scharker Yid 29/09/08
      56.   Danite 22:33  |  TonyL 29/09/08
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      58.   Asstrisk Bin Jibberish re: Clickfool 23:03  |  American in NY 29/09/08
      59.   Yosemite #43: good point, Yosemite - 23:15  |  ivo 29/09/08
      60.   Dino #19: strange scenarios, Dino - 23:42  |  ivo 29/09/08
      61.   ivo do you now understand freedom of speach? 00:17  |  American in NY 30/09/08
      62.   ivo freedom fighters of yesterday and today 00:27  |  American in NY 30/09/08
      63.   # 58 ivo 00:33  |  Swiss (Dino) 30/09/08
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