Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is covertly seeking out other potential Palestinian Arab peace partners to negotiate with – instead of Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas, Israeli daily Ma’ariv reported on Thursday. The news comes as current Israeli-PA framework agreement talks enter their seventh month.
Netanyahu’s special envoy, Yitzhak Molcho, has met with Abbas rival Mohammed Dahlan on at least one occasion, according to Ma’ariv.
Mohammed Dahlan is a former Fatah Central Committee member who was once a leading Palestinian political figure. At the peak of his power Dahlan was also head of the Preventive Security Authority of the Palestinian Authority. However, he fell from grace when terror group Hamas forcefully took over the Gaza Strip in 2007, a development for which he was held responsible by Abbas.
Following Hamas’s conquest of Gaza, Dahlan attempted to oust Abbas as ruler of the Palestinian Authority. However, Abbas managed to beat back Dahlan, who was eventually forced out of Fatah.
Since then, Dahlan has been trying to create pockets of internal resistance to the President of the PA, Ma’ariv said.
The back channel talks with Dahlan are being conducted in part because of a realization by Israeli leaders that Abbas is either unwilling or unable to sign a final status agreement with Jerusalem, Ma’ariv said.
In contrast, Dahlan is believed by some senior level government officials in Jerusalem to genuinely desire peace with Israel. Supporters of the discussions inside the Israeli government also believe that Dahlan could act as an important bridge between the West Bank and Gaza, which was at one point Dahlan’s power center, according to the report.
One of the main arguments used by opponents of Israeli-PA negotiations has long been that Abbas does not represent the Palestinian Arab people, Ma’ariv said. The fact that the PA President has put off elections in the West Bank for years only proves the point that his popular following is limited, the paper added.
Another argument against Abbas-led peace talks with Israel is that he has no control over the population of Gaza. As a result, any negotiated settlement between Jerusalem and Ramallah would not include its inhabitants, Ma’ariv said.
Furthermore, Dahlan himself has claimed that he, and not Abbas, can be counted on to bring peace. Dahlan reportedly sent a letter to the American government in 2010 in which he said that, “There is no choice but to replace Abbas with someone who can deliver results.”
The office of Israeli Premier Netanyahu has not commented on Molcho’s alleged association with Dahlan, Ma’ariv said.
@ BethesdaDog:
What evidence that he has that goal. How about these: Halting of construction in Judea/Samaria and Jerusalem to induce the Palestinians to return to talks, Likewise release of over 100 Arab murderers, Release of 1000 terrorists in exchange for one Israeli prisoner, An apology to Turkey for terrorists attacks on Israeli military. And the list goes on and on. Behind his tough talk Netanyahu is an abject weakling who concedes to the Palestinians and Americans on every turn and refuses to uphold Israel’s rights as a sovereign state.
@ jerrylaury:
Why would he do that? What evidence suggests that he has that goal?
F. M. El-Sissi could be an Ataturk/Sadat and play a major role in fostering warm peace btw the Pal, IL and Egypt. These could be the winners if a 2 states solution happens to be the ONLY solution. Otherwise IL will have to go her own way. Even if that implies a one state that the left fears so much!
bernard ross Said:
No, I believe that Netanyahu is intent on carving up Israel for the sake of the Palestinians and will resort to any trick to do so.
perhaps they want him to run gaaza after hamas is deposed, isn’t he gazan? More likely it is a slap and warning to abbas for chatting with Iran.