Uprising a mistake, says Arafat's likely successor
The armed uprising against Israel was a mistake and should end, interim Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas said today, speaking publicly for the first time about a long-held view.
Abbas, the current PLO leader, is the front-runner to replace Yasser Arafat in next month’s election for Palestinian Authority president. A pragmatist who opposes violence, he has the support of Israel and the international community.
While Arafat was still alive, Abbas told associates in closed-door meetings that he felt the uprising was a mistake, but never went public with his ideas, apparently because he did not want to challenge Arafat.
At the time, polls also indicated that Palestinian militants enjoyed broad public support.
However, after Arafat’s death, Abbas has been more candid about his views.
He told the London-based Arabic newspaper Asharq al-Awsat in an interview published today that Palestinians should resist Israeli occupation without resorting to violence.
It is important to “keep the uprising away from arms because the uprising is a legitimate right of the people to express their rejection of the occupation by popular and social means,” Abbas said.
“Using the weapons was harmful and has got to stop,” Abbas said, referring to shootings and bombings by Palestinian militants that have killed hundreds of Israelis since the outbreak of fighting in September 2000.
Israel has said violence must end before peace talks can resume.
Israeli Defence Minister Shaul Mofaz said yesterday that if the Palestinians work to quell the violence, Israel could co-ordinate its planned withdrawal from the Gaza Strip and four West Bank settlements with the new Palestinian leadership.
Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon refused to negotiate with Arafat, accusing him of fomenting violence. Israel is keeping its distance from Abbas ahead of the election, not wanting to hurt his chances.
Mofaz also said that if the Palestinians reorganise their security services Israel would be willing to give them control over large areas of Gaza and parts of the West Bank before the pullout.
But Abbas said that Palestinian security is currently in a state of chaos.
“Frankly, the Palestinian (security) apparatus needs discipline. There is security chaos. That’s why we're demanding and are seeking to unify the security apparatus,” Abbas told Asharq al-Awsat.
Abbas also said he was in talks with the militant Islamic groups, Hamas and Islamic Jihad, to bring them into the framework of the PLO, an umbrella group for Palestinian parties.
