RAMALLAH — Palestinian Authority Chairman Yasser Arafat, fearing an
opposition backlash, has effectively lost control in stopping violence
against Israel.
PA sources said Arafat has been alarmed by the continuation of bloody
clashes between Israeli forces and Palestinian demonstrators. They said he
has lost control over the unrest, which has now targeted both Egyptian and
Jordanian interests.
For the last week, the sources said, Arafat has been trying to regain
control over the violence. They said this includes an announcement that bans
weapons at anti-Israeli demonstrations.
"Arafat will not end the violence against Israel as long as Palestinians
are being killed," a PA source said. "The problem is that Arafat's
opposition both within Fatah and the Islamic movements are doing their best
to continue clashes to ensure more casualties."
The sources said the message has been relayed to both Israel and the
United States. They said Arafat needs a week until he can restrain
demonstrators.
But PA sources said Fatah dissidents are coordinating with Hamas and
Islamic Jihad to maintain the violence as part of a power struggle against
Arafat. The sources said they regard Arafat as an aging and feeble leader
who must be replaced with the establishment of a Palestinian state.
The result is that Fatah has vowed to continue violence even as Arafat
pledged to Regional Cooperation Minister Shimon Peres that he would order
his security forces to stop Palestinians from clashing with Israel. "The
Palestinian people, in the homeland and abroad, are required to continue the
uprising until the occupation ends," Palestinian legislator and Fatah leader
Khaddoura Fares said. "What matters is whether this occupation will remain
or withdraw. This is Fatah's decision. This is the decision of all the
forces."
One PA source said the current power struggle is reminiscent of Jordan
in 1970, when Palestinians opposed to Arafat violated agreement after
agreement with King Hussein. Finally, Hussein expelled an estimated 20,000
Fatah fighters from his kingdom.
