Recently, several senior Fatah members have sharply and openly criticized the nature of the Palestinian Authority (PA) government, headed by President Mahmoud 'Abbas. Essentially, they accused 'Abbas of concentrating in his hands a great number of functions and powers; this, they say, constitutes an infringement of democratic rule. They also alleged that there is corruption in the PA and its security apparatuses, and that they are exceeding their authority and suppressing freedom of expression by intimidating anyone who dares to speak out against 'Abbas.[1]
It is noteworthy that some of those who are criticizing 'Abbas are known to be close to PA Legislative Council member Muhammad Dahlan, who was expelled from Fatah in 2011 after he was accused of attempting to undermine 'Abbas. It is possible that these critics are trying to lay the groundwork for his return to the movement's top echelon.
One striking example of this criticism by Fatah members is an unprecedentedly harsh June 27, 2013 article by former PA minister and Dahlan associate Sufyan Abu Zaydeh, who moved from Gaza to the West Bank after the June 2007 Hamas coup in Gaza. In his op-ed, which was published by the Palestinian news agency Ma'an, Abu Zaydeh criticized the plethora of powers held by 'Abbas, which he says are so numerous that democratic principles such as separation of powers are being trampled, and argued that the Palestinian people have lost confidence in 'Abbas's leadership.
In response to Abu Zaydeh's article, the PA security apparatuses released a communiqué accusing him of damaging Palestinian unity and undermining 'Abbas's authority. In it, they claimed that he is serving the agenda of those who have fled the homeland – clearly alluding to Dahlan – and that Abu Zaydeh is pretending to speak on behalf of the Palestinian people without being authorized to do so.
This communiqué enraged Abu Zaydeh as well as a number of other senior Fatah officials; they accused the security apparatuses of breaking the law, exceeding their authority, silencing people, and suppressing freedom of expression. They also accused them of intimidation, such as shooting at the vehicles of senior Fatah officials whom they considered close to Dahlan or who had criticized the PA and 'Abbas – for example, the May 2013 shooting at the vehicle of Legislative Council member Majed Abu Shamala, who is close to Dahlan and who served as Fatah secretary-general in Gaza prior to the June 2007 coup, and the July 1 shooting at the vehicle of senior Fatah member Hussam Khader, who is known for his criticism of PA corruption.
Several Fatah members and columnists in the PA dailies and on a website close to the PLO joined in the criticism of the PA, and even warned that physical harm could come to Abu Zaydeh. In contrast, Fatah members and other columnists expressed their support for 'Abbas and for limits on free speech, contending that Abu Zaydeh's motive for writing the article was his close relationship with Dahlan.
Asked about the nature of his government at a press conference in Lebanon, 'Abbas said: "My powers [as PA president] have lapsed, and therefore I demand that parliamentary and presidential elections be held." He denied being a dictator, and argued that he couldn't be one even had he wanted to, adding that "proof that I am no dictator is the fact that I did not compel [prime minister Rami] Hamdallah to continue serving in his post."[2]
This report will discuss Sufyan Abu Zaydeh's op-ed and the reactions to it in the PA and Fatah.
Sufyan Abu Zaydeh: The 'Abbas Regime Is Not Democratic
In his article, which was titled "The President's Era," Sufyan Abu Zaydeh strongly criticized both 'Abbas, who he said was holding many powers, and senior Fatah officials who voiced no objections to this and worried only about their personal interests. He wrote: "I am disclosing no secret, and adding no information, by saying that the Palestinian people have reached a stage of frustration and loss of confidence in its leadership [headed by 'Abbas], and in this leadership's capability for finding solutions for and a way to get out of the troubles and disasters that have befallen them.
"[I am talking] not only about ['Abbas's in]ability to get rid of the occupation, to defend the holy places, or to put an end to the harassment by the settlers – because these are great aspirations, and no one has any hope that they will be realized in the foreseeable future – but also about the frustration that stems primarily from the shrinking and the reduction of the Palestinian political regime into one single man."
'Abbas Has More Powers Than Arafat Had
"Today, the president is president of all things connected with the Palestinian people and the Palestinian issue. He is the head of the PLO, the head of the Palestinian state, the chairman of the Palestinian Authority, the chairman of the Fatah movement, and supreme commander of the [security] forces. In addition, following the disruption of the Legislative Council's activity, 'Abbas is issuing lawful presidential decrees – that is, he is in practice also filling the role of the Legislative Council.
"Under [the current] situation of complete paralysis of the PLO institutions, he is the only decision-maker there. During [this] time of laxness of leadership in Fatah, particularly its Central Committee which is barely functioning as a collective leadership body, President 'Abbas is the only stakeholder...
"No one dreamed that we would reach such a pass – when all the powers are concentrated in the hands of one man, and he fills all the senior positions. We never imagined that anyone, no matter his capabilities and characteristics, would reach a point... where he has more powers than Yasser Arafat did at the height of leadership and power.
"One of the main reasons for 'Abbas's transformation into a natural candidate to succeed Arafat was the belief held by many that he would manage things in a completely different way than Arafat did. This is because President 'Abbas spoke often of the need to build institutions, rather than to concentrate authority in one man's hands, and of the need to [implement] a separation of powers, build Fatah, and operate its leadership institutions."
Senior Fatah Officials Tell 'Abbas What He Wants To Hear
"During Arafat's era, the Palestinian leadership frequently spoke of the need to appoint deputies, [one] for the PA president and [the other for] the PLO chairman. Appointing a deputy for Fatah's chairman was not mentioned, because Yasser Arafat passed away before gaining this title – which President 'Abbas gained with the support and acclaim of [Fatah's] Sixth Conference.
"Today we are making the same mistake, but worse; there is no deputy for either the PA president or the PLO Chairman. The lack of deputies is not connected only with President 'Abbas, but with the dearth of genuine leaders who are capable of fearlessly expressing their opinions. President 'Abbas will not hear the voices that say no when that is necessary – because most of the officials tell him what they think he wants to hear. They say to him, 'You are the president and have no substitute, you are our candidate and there's nobody but you.' These [people] have forfeited their right to Fatah's leadership and have [also forfeited] Fatah's right to play a pioneering leadership role. Thus, it is not strange for the president to act as if neither Fatah nor the PLO have a leadership and as if there is no Legislative Council to fulfill its role of supervising the state's executive apparatuses – the president included – and of legislating. Thus, it is the president who is appointing the prime minister and the ministers. He fires them and hires others to replace them at will – even though the Sixth Conference resolutions clearly specified that it is the Central Committee that [is supposed to] present candidates and decide on names.
"Therefore, it is not strange that a large majority of President 'Abbas's close associates, and those who influence his decisions, are unconnected with Fatah or its decisions... This is no coincidence, because [Fatah's] leaders have waived their right and surrendered, either because they have no faith in themselves or their leadership, or because they fear for their interests and status. The helplessness and apprehension are tied to the fundamental problem of the Palestinian political regime and of Fatah in particular – namely, the president's exclusive authority for removing, appointing, and promoting [officials]. How will an ambassador, a minister or deputy minister, or a security officer, be able to oppose a decision or say no to the president, when he knows that doing so could impact his salary and his position?
"One example of how the president can do whatever he likes in the [Palestinian] Authority is the case of [former Gaza police chief] Razi Al-Jabali , who returned to Ramallah a month ago, as he was wanted by the PA judicial system... on charges of embezzlement... But Al-Jabali, whose extradition the Palestinian judicial system requested from Interpol, was pardoned by President 'Abbas, and all corruption charges against him were dropped." [3]
Palestinian Security Apparatuses: Sufyan Abu Zaydeh Is Operating In The Service Of Those Who Have Fled The Homeland
In an announcement, the Palestinian security establishment condemned Sufyan Abu Zaydeh's article, accusing him of damaging the unity and social fabric of the Palestinian people by undermining the authority of the Palestinian leadership headed by 'Abbas. The announcement read: "The security establishment condemns the statement by Sufyan Abu Zaydeh that has harmed the Palestinian people and its leadership. His declarations, which cast doubt upon the leadership of the Palestinian people headed by Abu Mazen [i.e. 'Abbas], fragment the people's unity and social fabric. We, the security establishment, are amazed that someone pretending to be a fighter and commander in Fatah is [actually] serving an agenda that is inimical to the Palestinian people, at a time when our enemies are harshly attacking President Abu Mazen with the aim of undermining his stand against the heavy pressure to return to negotiating without a halt to construction in the settlements. Our great people stands behind [Abu Mazen's] sagacious and firm leadership... [This leadership] knows the wheat from the chaff, and knows how to identify who is operating on behalf of the homeland and who is operating on behalf of personal agendas and for those people who have fled their homeland.
"We do not know how Sufyan Abu Zaydeh concluded that 'the Palestinian people have reached a stage of frustration and have lost confidence in their leadership'. Let it be known that our people... supported his leadership and stood behind it for its stable national positions when the president challenged all pressure elements and went to the UN to achieve the world's recognition for a Palestinian state. Likewise, all public opinion polls show the extent of his popularity, and how the people are united around his sagacious leadership.
"The heroic Palestinian people has never despaired and has never been weak or lax, [and] it will never become frustrated and never despair. It remains steadfast, prepared for whatever comes, defending Al-Aqsa and its lands against the settlements. Someone residing in a five-star hotel outside the homeland and wandering from country to country and living a life of alienation must not think that this scenario of frustration and despair in his own life is a reflection of the life of our heroic people... The Palestinian people – the people whom Abu Zaydeh claims is frustrated – lives in security and tranquility thanks to the president's directives to the security apparatuses to combat chaos and disorder. We, the members of the security establishment, expect anyone presuming to be a leader of this people, such as Abu Zaydeh, to stand behind his heroic people that opposes the settlements and the [separation] fence, and to express his views within the framework of the institutions – because such a rain of accusations via the media is a trait of the least significant of people, not [a trait] of leaders.
"We in the security establishment condemn Sufyan Abu Zaydeh's attack on the reputation of the president and supreme commander of the Palestinian forces. We will remain loyal to the glorious leadership of our people, and we call upon everybody to preserve the unity of our people and of our nation. On this matter, we remind Sufyan Abu Zaydeh of his previous stands, when he harmed our nation and our people in Ramallah with his article 'Fatah Leaders from Gaza Are Treated Like Settlers in Ramallah.'[4] [Ramallah] is a city that adopted our brothers from the Gaza Strip, just as it embraced Abu Zaydeh who speaks against it like this. If anyone from this glorious city [ever] harmed him or any of our Gaza brothers, let [Abu Zaydeh] remind us [of that fact]. Like Gaza, Ramallah is part of the homeland, and a Gaza resident in Ramallah is in his own homeland and can live in any city in the homeland..."[5]
Senior Fatah Officials: The Security Apparatuses Are Silencing People And Overstepping Their Authority
The Palestinian security apparatuses' announcement was interpreted by many as a breach of their authority and as an attempt to harm freedom of expression in the PA. Responding to the announcement, Sufyan Abu Zaydeh said:
"I appeal to all those who read the security apparatus' announcement to reread my article and to judge for themselves whether it contained any overstepping of the bounds of what is permitted in free speech. I am amazed that the security establishment responded to a political article that reflects a personal position. The security establishment's mission is to defend public liberties, including the freedom of expression guaranteed by Palestinian law.
"If anything in my article oversteps the bounds of [what is permitted in] free speech, then it is the Fatah institutions to which I belong or the judicial system that must determine this – not an officer or officers who believe that we are in a police state era. The security establishment's announcement included considerable opprobrium and defamation, and deliberate mistakes that were intended to mislead and to incite against me. Instead of being preoccupied with political articles, the security establishment would be better off making efforts to find out who shot at the car of Legislative Council member Majed Abu Shamala.
"Thus, I see this as a prelude to other repressive measures that the leaders of the PA will be behind... We are not strangers in this homeland, and we need no certificate of agreement from anyone – so I do not fear an aggressive announcement aimed at suppressing freedom of expression, and I will not volunteer to deny myself this right, as others are doing. Anybody who has a problem with this should appeal to the judiciary, not make threats."[6]
Other Fatah officials also responded to the announcement. Fatah Central Committee member Tawfiq Al-Tirawi stated that with it, the security apparatuses had flagrantly violated the law and exceeded their authority, saying: "The announcement is a flagrant violation of the Palestinian law that guarantees freedom of expression and freedom of opinion, and we are amazed at its release by the official Palestinian news agency. The announcement is a deviation from the security establishment's role and mission, as set out in the PA's Basic Law It is not the security establishment's job to settle accounts with Dr. Sufyan Abu Zaydeh for his positions and his political writings – that [is the job] of the Palestinian judicial system and of Fatah's official institutions, which from the outset do not allow disparagement of the movement's leader. It is the Fatah members and institutions that is responsible for preserving the political regime and the president – this is not [the job of] the security apparatuses...
"Therefore, we vigorously oppose the intervention of the security establishment, which is attempting to silence people, expropriate liberties, and damage every Palestinian citizen's fundamental right to freedom of speech and freedom of opinion. Such intervention is the preserve of the Fatah institutions and the judicial system."[7]
Also joining in the criticism of the Palestinian security apparatuses were 14 members of the Fatah faction in the Legislative Council, who called on 'Abbas to guarantee the rule of law and freedom of expression: "The announcement by the security establishment is a dangerous precedent, a violation of the Basic Law, and an overreach... President 'Abbas must take the necessary measures to ensure the rule of law and freedom of opinion and expression, and to obligate the security apparatuses to fulfill their duty under the law."[8]
Dr. Salah Abu Khatla, senior Fatah official and a columnist for a website close to the PLO, argued that "the behavior of the Palestinian security apparatuses harmed not only Sufyan Abu Zaydeh but also the Palestinian political regime itself. It would have been appropriate for these apparatuses, in which we take pride, to have responded to Fatah Central Committee member Dr. Nabil Sha'ath's statement that the PA spends more on protecting Israeli security than it does on the Palestinian people, [but it was inappropriate for it to respond to this statement by Abu Zaydeh]." He added that "Sufyan's statements are statements that are whispered in Fatah, and he didn't make them up. They can also be heard among the top circles of the Fatah Central Committee members... Recent events are evidence of this, including the resignation of Prime Minister Rami Hamdallah or the appointment of a government identical to one before it merely in order to remove Salam Fayyad."[9]
Senior Fatah Official Hussam Khader: The Shooting At My Car Was To Stop Me Criticizing The PA
On July 1, 2013, near the Balata refugee camp, the parked vehicle of senior Fatah official and former Legislative Council member Hussam Khader was fired upon; Khader is known to be a frequent critic of corruption in the PA. He claimed that the shooting was aimed at silencing him, saying "The message they sent me is that, in my statements, I should stop criticizing corruption and the irregularities in the PA administration.
In a post on his Facebook page, Khader linked the shots fired at his car to the security apparatuses' announcement, and called both an attempt to silence people: "Isn't this decisive proof of how our national values have deteriorated, and that any vestige of democracy has disappeared? [Isn't it proof of] the rapid slide towards a frightening, despicable, and filthy military fascism?? [How] did we come to this?... How long will the policy of silencing people continue?"[10]
Hussam Khader’s Facebook post[11]
In an interview with the Hamas newspaper Al-Risala, Khader harshly criticized the Fatah leaders and claimed that they had dragged the movement down to a dangerous situation. He said, "There are Fatah leaders who use the movement as a bridge to realize their personal aspirations at the expense of the movement and its popularity." Accusing Fatah leaders of having obtained their key posts by deception, he said: "Those who reached this place [key positions] are Fatah leaders who got there by means of fraud, and by transforming the movement's Sixth Conference into a grave for the Fatah enterprise..." He also accused Fatah members of scheming against former PA prime minister Salam Fayyad, arguing that they deposed him to advance their own personal aspirations and to make it easier for them to advance interests that Fayyad refused to promote. "In Fatah," he said, "money talks."
Khader laid full responsibility for the threats against him and the shooting at his car on 'Abbas and the West Bank security apparatuses: "I [hereby] warn 'Abbas and the leadership against any attempt to depict this incident as 'an action by anonymous elements,' and I am waiting for the investigative committees. If the perpetrator is not apprehended, this will be proof that it is the security apparatuses that are behind this deed, with the aim of silencing me. 'Abbas and the security apparatuses will pay dearly for this."[12]
Palestinian Writers: Abu Zaydeh Exposed 'Abbas's Dictatorship
The criticism of the 'Abbas regime and security apparatuses, and the rallying to Abu Zaydeh's side, was also evident in articles published by the Palestinian media. Dalia Al-'Afifi, columnist for a website close to the PLO, voiced her appreciation for Sufyan Abu Zaydeh's bravery in exposing "'Abbas's dictatorial regime," and called on him to file a proceeding against 'Abbas based on 'Abbas's responsibility for the security apparatuses' announcement. She also expressed concern that Abu Zaydeh would be physically harmed, threatened, harried, and arrested for libel.[13]
Another columnist on the same website, Dr. Talal Al-Sharif, argued that Abu Zaydeh is being persecuted because of his friendship with Muhammad Dahlan: "The president ['Abbas] motivated the security apparatuses to issue a dangerous communiqué threatening Abu Zaydeh with murder and defaming the image of a former PA minister who is [also] a former prisoner and a prominent Fatah leader – only because, ever since the dispute between 'Abbas and Muhammad Dahlan began, 'Abbas has been preoccupied only with how to retaliate against Dahlan and his supporters.
"It is you, Mr. President, and your ruling gang in Ramallah, who threaten national security, the social fabric, and the public interest... The president and the authors of the communiqué, along with the security apparatuses in Ramallah, are conducting a political assassination and are openly calling for assassinating opponents. It is you who will bear the responsibility for any injury to movement leaders, from Gaza to the West Bank, first among them Dr. Sufyan Abu Zaydeh."[14]
In Defense Of 'Abbas: Freedom Stops Where Harm To Another's Freedom Begins
In contrast, some defended 'Abbas's leadership. Muwaffaq Matar, columnist for the PA daily Al-Hayat Al-Jadida, argued that Abu Zaydeh was not authorized to speak for the people on the issue of frustration. He said that Abu Zaydeh was part of the regime by virtue of his senior positions in Fatah and the PA, and that therefore (since he was an insider) it was difficult to accept his criticism. In addition, he said, Abu Zaydeh was misleading his readers by calling 'Abbas a dictator, and he penned his criticism just when Israel was attacking 'Abbas. Matar also explained that Abu Zaydeh was acting out of personal motives: "It would appear that Fatah has not been well-liked by Abu Zaydeh ever since it decided to expel Muhammad Dahlan from its ranks."[15]
Fatah activist Jamal 'Ubeid also defended 'Abbas in an article on a website close to Fatah. He wrote: "Everything has a limit, and freedom stops where harm to another's freedom and dignity begins."[16]
Endnotes:
[1] Amad.ps, July 5, 2013.
[2] This criticism about the concentration of authority in 'Abbas's hands comes in addition to the protest by caretaker prime minister Rami Hamdallah, who was sworn in on June 6, 2013, and stepped down June 20, 2013, against 'Abbas's appointment of two unsolicited deputies who sought to erode Hamdallah's authority. Hamdallah has agreed to remain in his post as caretaker prime minister until mid-August 2013.
[3] Maannews.net , June 27, 2013.
[4] On July 23, 2011, Abu Zaydeh demanded that 'Abbas order the PA military intelligence apparatus to immediately release Fatah members originally from Gaza who were arrested in Ramallah July 21 and 22, 2011. Paldf.net, July 23, 2011.
[5] Alaahd.ps, June 29, 2013.
[6] Amad.ps, June 29, 2013.
[7] Amad.ps, June 29, 2013.
[8] Paltoday.ps, July 3, 2013.
[9] Amad.ps, June 30, 2013.
[10] Al-Quds Al-Arabi (London), July 1, 2013.
[11] Facebook.com/hussamkhaderpage, July 1, 2013; accessed July 31, 2013.
[12] Al-Resalah.ps, July 10, 2013.
[13] Amad.ps, June 30, 2013.
[14] Amad.ps, June 29, 2013.
[15] Al-Hayat Al-Jadida (Palestine), June 30, 2013.
[16] Alaahd.ps, June 30, 2013.
