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Israel-Palestine-Jordan
Palestinian leadership may choose Abbas’s successor, and tear itself apart
2016-11-21
[IsraelTimes] An imminent Fatah congress in Ramallah will shape the future of the Paleostinian movement, laying bare its rivalries.
Lots of inside baseball for those interested. But I think the closing paragraphs are of more general interest:
As noted, a dark cloud looms over the upcoming congress and the elections -- the threat of a possible split the next day if Dahlan and his supporters should decide to form a competing movement. But Abbas and the PA have an even bigger problem than Dahlan or his emissaries in the West Bank, who have been trying to heat things up against the PA in many refugee camps.

A severe, unprecedented crisis has broken out between the Paleostinian Authority and the moderate Arab world. Abbas is close to cutting off relations with the Sunni Arab states, Egypt and Soddy Arabia
...a kingdom taking up the bulk of the Arabian peninsula. Its primary economic activity involves exporting oil and soaking Islamic rubes on the annual hajj pilgrimage. The country supports a large number of princes in whatcha might call princely splendor. When the oil runs out the rest of the world is going to kick sand in the Soddy national face...
 first among them. Cairo stands behind Dahlan and encourages his various activities. Saudi Arabia has suspended its financial aid to the PA. The United Arab Emirates is giving Dahlan official protection, and Jordan could not care less about what happens in Ramallah.

Together only with part of Fatah, Abbas, 82, stands alone, in near-isolation, against Hamas, always the voice of sweet reason,, the State of Israel, the Arab countries, and his own enemy from within -- Mohammad Dahlan.

And yet there is no shortage of would-be successors.
Posted by:trailing wife

#7  I thought Herb Tarlick Mo Dahlan and his horrible 70's plaid jackets had left the building?
Posted by: Frank G   2016-11-21 21:38  

#6  Almost sounds like the Pirahna Brothers... "Born on probation..."
Posted by: Thing From Snowy Mountain   2016-11-21 16:07  

#5  I agree. Barghouti. The popular choice to succeed Abbas, except that he is serving a life -- or very long -- sentence in an Israeli prison.
Posted by: trailing wife   2016-11-21 14:34  

#4  Barghouti?
Posted by: g(r)omgoru   2016-11-21 13:01  

#3  Thanks LG, I am confusing him with someone else, name starts with a B I think, still in the slammer and subject to countless negotiations.
Posted by: Shipman   2016-11-21 12:59  

#2  Dahlan has a long complicated history

He did serve time in Israeli prisons in the 80s when he was in his 20s (he was born in 1961)

He more or less ran Gaza as his own fiefdom for some years before the Israeli withdrawal from Gaza. Within Fatah, which is known for stealthy corruption, Dahlan was considered one of the most 'honest' thieves in that he admitted what he stole (which was considerable) and what he took in bribes.

His troops were quickly crushed by Hamas during the Fatah-Hamas conflict of 2007 and he eventually wound up in exile in the Gulf States. He and Abbas are former friends who became bitter enemies and, I think, are still enemies today.
Posted by: lord garth   2016-11-21 11:01  

#1  UAE should put Dahlan on a sealed camel and send him home.

When did he get out of the Israeli slammer?
Posted by: Shipman   2016-11-21 07:14  

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