Abbas and the Lame Duck

[bemildred]

A twenty-minute drive is all that separates the Israeli Prime Minister's office in Jerusalem from that of the Palestinian President in Ramallah. But for all practical purposes, the Muqata'ah in Ramallah might as well be on the moon.

The day before yesterday, Ariel Sharon declared for the who-knows-how-many-th time, that he had cancelled his planned meeting with Mahmoud Abbas. The reason: Abbas "is not doing anything against terrorism". A routine pretext, but it seems that this time the act itself is not mere routine.

The long campaign for the elimination of Mahmoud Abbas is entering its final phase.

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The ascent of Abbas after the elimination of Yassir Arafat - still shrouded in mystery - turned on a red light in Sharon's office. After all, his plans are all based on the slogan "There is Nobody to Talk With". Abbas, on the other hand, looks to the world, and even to a significant part of the Israeli public - like a Palestinian leader eminently fit to talk with. Worse, he looks that way to President Bush too.

Media Monitors

[madrchsod]

1. interesting isn`t it? i`ve been following this

on and off for the last few months..i`m not sure if abbas is a stooge or actually someone who can do something constructive. as for sharon he has hated for so many years there is no other way he can think. it`s time for that old man to go away and let someone in israel lead the people out of the shadow of his wall

[bemildred]

4. I don't have an opinion about Abbas as a person.

The only real issue that would sway me is if he was
found to be corrupt in a self-serving and mercenary
sort of way, at least of characteristics that seem
likely in him.

Politically, I think he is weak, and I don't see how
that is going to be remedied. The Palestinian people
are politically divided, and they are unlikely to get
much traction unless something is done about that. Of
course even then their situation would be difficult.

[eyl]

2. Like a lot of Avneri's articles

it's heavy on speculation, short of facts (and not all the facts are correct)

[bemildred]

3. Mr. Avnery is an imaginative fellow, to be sure.

That is not always a bad thing. I do find his
opinions about what Jabba is up to interesting and
sometimes illuminating, although I never take them
as the only acceptable version of things.