WEST BANK (MEMO) – Many Palestinian politicians including those from the Fatah – the largest faction in the multi-party Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) – have criticized the recently-held meeting between Mahmoud Abbas, the President of Palestine, and Zionist war minister, Benny Gantz.
Ironically, the discord between the leaders appeared within Fatah, on the eve of its 57th foundation day, which was celebrated on Saturday, Anadolu News Agency reports.
In an interview with the Anadolu Agency, the leader of Fatah, Naser al-Qudwa described this 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.
Abbas visited the home of Gantz in Rosh Haayin in the occupied territories on Wednesday, and held talks on various issues.
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.
“I believe that Fatah has been exposed to many attacks and distortion process that changed its nature, and there is a serious need to review. The real efforts must be done to restore this movement as a national liberation movement,” he said.
Of late, and more so in the run-up to the preparations of 2021 legislative and presidential elections – which were later put off – internal conflicts came to the fore within Fatah.
Qudwa was sacked from the Central Committee of Fatah after he had announced to contest the legislative elections.
Meanwhile, the Democratic Reform Current, the Fatah branch led by dismissed Fatah leader Mohammed Dahlan, has criticized President Abbas’s visit, Safa Press Agency reported.
“Visiting your house in Gaza would have given you more honor than visiting the house of the Zionist war minister Benny Gantz,” spokesperson for the Democratic Reform Current in Gaza, Salah Al-Owaisi, announced during the celebration of the 57th anniversary of the Fatah movement.
“Gantz’s soldiers kill our women at the checkpoints, and his army protects the settler violence in Burqa, Beita and Sheikh Jarrah,” Owaisi asserted.
He strongly deplored Abbas for the security cooperation with the Zionist regime while ignoring Palestinian partners and “conspiring” against them.
“Fifteen years of support for the occupation against Gaza is enough,” he declared, adding, “Here, in Gaza, there is the strategic reserve, the revolution and the fight against the occupation.”
Owaisi added: “From here, we are calling on you to come to Gaza and reunite the country in order to regain the power of our cause, return the principles of the revolution and regain the rights of the freedom fighters. Resistance is a lifestyle and the resistance arms are a red line that no one can use as a bargaining chip.”