Three Christians, one Israeli elected to Fatah council

THE PALESTINIAN Fatah movement has released the list of 81 members elected to the revolutionary council, the organisation’s second-highest consultative body.

Among the victors were 11 women, three Christians and one Jewish Israeli, Dr Uri Davis, a dissident academic who joined Fatah in the 1980s.

The elections, the first in 20 years, to Fatah’s two decision-making bodies took place last weekend and results for the 23-member central council, headed by Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas, were declared on Tuesday.

Yesterday, Mr Abbas announced that the Fatah-dominated Palestine Liberation Organisation (PLO) would proceed with elections for the Palestinian National Council, a parliament bringing together Palestinians from both the Israeli-occupied territories and the diaspora.

West Bank-based Fatah is proceeding with these popular consultations to bolster its legitimacy at a time when the movement is facing a severe challenge from Hamas, which rules Gaza, and is under increasing pressure from Arab governments, particularly those of Egypt and Saudi Arabia, to reconcile with Hamas and form a national unity government.

Fatah and Hamas representatives are scheduled to meet in Cairo on August 25th to continue talks on how to achieve these ends but Mr Abbas does not wish to pursue reconciliation. Hamas chief Khaled Mishaal said the Cairobrokered talks may not reconvene.

In Gaza, Hamas strengthened its position and boosted its call for dialogue with western governments by taking on and defeating Jund Ansar Allah, or Soldiers for God, a radical Muslim faction which last Friday proclaimed an “Islamic emirate” in Gaza. In a shoot-out in a mosque in the southern town of Rafah, Hamas security forces killed the group’s leader and a dozen of his followers. About 100 members of the group have been arrested.

De-facto Gaza prime minister Ismail Haniyeh said Hamas was obliged to take action against Jund Ansar Allah because it “had worked against the government, described it as irreligious, and armed themselves in opposition.These were radicals who blew themselves up amidst security officers”.

Hamas, which is observing a ceasefire with Israel, was angered when the group launched an attack on the Nahal Oz fuel-delivery facility on the border with Israel.

Hamas claims to be the legitimate authority in Gaza and insists that its security forces should have a monopoly on weapons. It argues that it is a national liberation organisation rather than a militant Muslim “salafi” grouping like Jund Ansar Allah, which is said to have connections with al-Qaeda.