It is not the first time Palestinians have called for the resignation of Mahmoud Abbas. When Hamas swept to victory in the Palestinian Parliamentary Elections in January 2006, angry mobs from the defeated Fatah party staged rallies in the Gaza Strip, calling for his resignation. Many gathered outside the parliament in Gaza City, setting fire to government cars and firing shots into the air.
Today, the anger is subtler, but more poignant. Palestinians from all walks of life are stunned and disappointed by Abbas, who withdrew Palestinian support for a vote in the U.N. Human Rights Council in Geneva to have the Goldstone report sent to the U.N. General Assembly for possible action, the first of many steps towards possibly establishing war crimes tribunals to investigate Israel's alleged war crimes in Gaza.
Just a few days before Abbas suspended action on the Goldstone report, a poll showed the Palestinian president with a 55 percent approval rating compared to the 32 percent for Gaza's Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh. A new poll has not been conducted yet, but one thing is certain: today, Abbas would be lucky to receive double digits. Across the board, Palestinians have been calling for his resignation.
"He is a traitor. He sold the land [to the Israelis] ... now he sold our blood," says Abed M. from Qalandia Refugee Camp just outside of Ramallah.
Abed's sentiments are not unique. Posters which first appeared in Gaza showing Mahmoud Abbas with a black X across his face and the words, "To the trash heap of history, you traitor, Mahmoud Abbas," have made their way to West Bank and even to East Jerusalem.
A few days ago, Gaza professors threw shoes at his defaced image and Hamas has called Abbas' decision "a betrayal of the blood of the martyrs."
Meanwhile, rumors have been spreading like wild fire in the West Bank and Gaza. A news segment aired on al-Aqsa TV, a Hamas-controlled satellite station broadcasting out of Gaza, featured a guest analyst who claimed that Israel threatened to release a video tape showing Palestinian leaders urging Israel to be tougher on Hamas during the Gaza offensive unless the PA backed down over the Goldstone report. Another story circulating on the Palestinian street is about Abbas' children and their investments with Israeli partners. The Israeli government has reportedly threatened the PA that it would refuse to license a new Palestinian mobile phone company, partially owned by one of Abbas' sons, if the PA pushed for the adoption of the Goldstone Report in Geneva.
On Wednesday one senior Palestinian Authority figure, Yasser Abed Rabbo conceded the move was a "mistake."
"A mistake?" fired back former Knesset member Azmi Bishara on Al Jazeera TV, "a mistake is when I press the wrong floor on the elevator."
Just an hour after the Goldstone debacle erupted, I called a colleague of mine (who shall remain anonymous) working in Ramallah as a stringer for a foreign news agency to ask him whether this issue will have a lasting damage on the Palestinian Authority. He quickly corrected me and said, "You mean the Vichy Government of Palestine."
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What is the excuse here?
It is Hamas which is a Vichy-like entity having achieved domination via military coup. And it is Vichy Hamas propped up by axis of Iran and Syria, resembling 1930s Italy and Germany
And it is Abbas government that is supported by the free Western Allies.
And the current Israeli government is doing nothin to help him-- quite the opposite, they are fatally weakening him.
And peace-- a just peace, cannot be built on a foundation of lies and secrecy. Covering up what happened in Gaza would do just that.
Does Israel and the US think those 900 dead non-combatants have no families? How do they expect THEM to react to this?
And yet, let it be known that Abbas (who had to know what the reaction to this would be) is on record of complying with a request of the Obama Administration -- with the intent of furthering peace.
The Israeli government, on the other hand, has openly defied the Obama administration.
So who REALLY wants peace here?
What was the role of President Obama, Hillary C. & Susan Rice? Do you win the Nobel Peace Prize for yet once again throwing the weight of the USA against Palestine? Why is George Mitchell fast becoming another figure in the long line of caricatures? Blame Abbas for his egregious behavior, but there were the same old powerful forces working against him too. Another bad chapter in a long story, but the Palestinian people won't stop their struggle regardless of these nefarious forces working against them.
If really true, that's a lot of work to un-do, yes??
Abbas wins what? Is there a prize for betrayal?
You may be right. And we wish them all the very best. Mr.Obama is a good example, isn't he??
Guess, we all have to do our part to help make that better World we all want and not expect that one US President will do all the work for us.
Cheers!
Read more at: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/jamal-dajani/the-vichy-government-of-p_b_315103.html