Sunday November 20, 2016

I've Been Thinking:

There is a significant movement rising up against Palestinian leadership in the Palestinian Authority.

The movement includes violent armed conflicts and shootouts with PA security and police pitted against armed locals in villages and towns like Ballata.

Ballata is a refugee camp outside of Shechem/Nabuls.

What makes this current internal conflict different from previous conflicts is that this time those fighting the establishment are not from Hamas - they are true blue Fatah supporters and always have been. They are people who have gotten to the point where they can no longer tolerate Palestinian corruption.

They support Mohammed Dahlan.

Dahlan is in exile and living in Abu Dhabi. Once upon a time he was one of Arafat's fair-haired boys and was the strong arm power of the PA in Gaza. Abbas and Dahlan came into conflict when Dahlan accused Abbas' two sons of corruption by using their power to amass personal financial success.

Dahlan was then convicted, in absentia, of corruption and of besmirching the name of the president.

The corruption is just one element of the discontent and resulting armed conflicts.

Palestinians are rejecting PA leadership because they have come to the full realization that there is no hope for change in the leadership. People are discouraged. Jobs are given only to insiders and their families.

The situation is getting so bad that the shootouts themselves have claimed the lives of at least 12 people and resulted in the wounding of dozens others.

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