Fayad has emerged as the most powerful member of the PA, with direct
control over the security forces and Finance Ministry. The prime minister
has come under pressure from the ruling Fatah movement to supply government
funds and jobs ahead of West Bank municipal elections in July 2010.
[On May 31, the Israel Navy blocked an aid flotilla from reaching the
Gaza Strip. Reports said at least 14 people were killed in the Navy
operation, which encountered violent resistance, to intercept the six-ship
flotilla sponsored by Turkey. Fayad made a televised statement that
condemned the Israeli operation.]
So far, Fayad, appointed prime minister in 2007, has refused to accede
to Fatah demands. Instead, the prime minister has drafted and promoted the
PA boycott of Jewish communities in the West Bank as a means to mobilize
support weeks before municipal elections.
"I call on people around the world to boycott settlement products deemed
illegal by the international community," PA Gov. Adnan Al Husseini,
responsible for the Palestinian presence in Jerusalem, said. "We can manage
this economic system."
An estimated 25,000 Palestinians have been employed in Jewish
communities in the West Bank. Under a new PA law, Palestinians could no
longer work for Jewish employers or buy Jewish products in the West Bank.
The PA has reported significant achievements in the West Bank. At a May
18 news conference, Nablus Gov. Jibrin Al Bakri said 17 factories in Jewish
communities have been forced to shut down. There was no confirmation of this
by Israel.
"Our goal is to cut off the settlements that harm us and steal our
resources on a daily basis," Bethlehem Gov. Abdul Fatah Hamayel said.
Fayad has used PA security forces to raid Palestinian stores and
confiscate products alleged to have come from Jewish communities. The prime
minister has urged Fatah to promote the boycott in what the sources said
could result in his alliance with the political movement.
But PA sources said a key test would be whether Fayad would appoint
Fatah members to key government posts. Fatah has demanded the Finance
Ministry and Interior Ministry, regarded as the most powerful positions in
the Cabinet.
"With respect for Dr. Fayad's contributions, we must remember that his
official journey in national work began in 2002," Fatah veteran Fahmy Zarir
said. "Our history did not begin then."
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