For Fatah anniversary event, Abbas gives uninspired speech

The master of ceremonies' announcement that Palestinian Authority chairman Mahmoud Abbas was about to give his speech was meant to set the tone for the event: Hundreds of balloons in the colors of the Palestinian flag were released, flags were unfurled and the music rose to deafening tones.

But the speech that followed, at the event commemorating the founding of Fatah, was as long and boring as the warm-up was spectacular.

It was very different from Yasser Arafat's speeches, or the one given by Mohammed Dahlan at the beginning of the week. It was even different from the address by Israeli MK Ahmad Tibi, who for a moment seemed to forget which parliament he represented, working up the crowd with the words "Yasser Arafat, of the kaffiyeh, who is still with us."

Abbas, in contrast, was like a high school teacher trying unsuccessfully to educate his class. He started out by chiding: "I heard shooting into the air, and that is forbidden. Just like it is forbidden to shoot at each other."

Fatah managed for the second time this week to bring tens of thousands of supporters to the street. Wajdi Nasem of Ramallah, one of the young people who took part in the rally, explained to Haaretz that he was wrapped in the Fatah flag because "the people have understood their mistake, and are beginning to return to support Fatah."

Two of the Palestinian pundits at yesterday's rally said Hamas has made some serious mistakes recently.

Fatah was handing out posters of its "martyrs" - the organization's members killed in the attack on the house of Colonel Mohammed Ghraib last week in Gaza.

But Hamas is not panicking. It is trying to renew talks with Fatah on the subject of a unity government, and is willing to compromise on the appointment of an independent interior minister.

However, Hamas continues to reiterate its insistence that Ismail Haniyeh remain prime minister, rather than being replaced by an independent.