Abbas-Gantz meeting deepens divisions within Palestine's Fatah

Palestinian politicians, including from Fatah, harshly criticised this week's meeting between Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas and Israeli Defence Minister Benny Gantz.

Mahmoud Abbas visited the home of Gantz in Rosh Haayin in central Israel on Tuesday.
Reuters

Mahmoud Abbas visited the home of Gantz in Rosh Haayin in central Israel on Tuesday.

Palestinian politicians including those from the Fatah, the largest faction in the multi-party Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO), have criticised the recently-held meeting between Mahmoud Abbas, President of the Palestinian National Authority, and Israeli Defence Minister Benny Gantz.

Senior Palestinian official Naser al Qudwa, who was a member of the central committee in the Fatah movement, in an interview with the Anadolu Agency described the meeting as a further disrespect to the national identity of Palestinians and a big political mistake.

"This must not happen particularly at this critical time, meanwhile, our people are resisting the settler colonialism, on the eve of the armed revolution beginning anniversary," he said.

Qudwa asked all the factions within the PLO to take a clear stand against the meeting. He said that Abbas, as the head of the Fatah movement has provoked Palestinian streets.

Abbas visited the home of Gantz in Rosh Haayin in central Israel on Tuesday and held talks on various issues.

Ironically, the discord between the leaders has appeared within Fatah, on eve of its 57th foundation day, which is being celebrated on Saturday.

READ MORE: Israel's Gantz hosts Palestine's Abbas at home in rare meeting

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'Not a political meeting'

Bilal Shobaki, the Palestinian political analyst working at Hebron (Al-Khalil) University, however, said there was nothing strange in the meeting of Abbas with Gantz.

He said it was a continuation of the policy of Fatah since the 1980s demonstrated by the Madrid Conference and Oslo Accord.

“The grass-roots of Fatah hasn't done anything to correct the stream of their movement, and the correction of the stream is the responsibility of all Palestinians. But there is an additional load on Fatah grass-roots if they are opposing what Abbas is doing. Abbas doesn't behave only as of the top leader of Fatah but also as the president of the Palestinian Authority,” said the academic.

According to political analyst Razi Nabulsi, Fatah, which was known as an armed national liberation movement, is not now in its original shape.

“Fatah today has turned into a legitimate source of Palestinian Authority presence. We have a big question here about where is Fatah when its leader visits Gantz at his house,” he said.

“The meeting shows us that the West Bank for Gantz is a security issue and Abbas is the head of this security company, it is not a political meeting at all,” he added.

READ MORE: Israel approves measures to improve ties with Palestinians

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