Disillusioned, Fatah considers third intifada
While unrest continues in Jerusalem and the West Bank, and despite opposition from Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, Fatah militants might stop objecting to an intifada and even take the lead.
One of the leading members of the Fatah young guard from Hebron told Al-Monitor that Fatah will not object anymore to an intifada if the unrest in the West Bank and East Jerusalem continues.
"We are against terror but cannot quell the popular unrest. It is not the preference of our leader [Mahmoud Abbas], but if the popular uprising that has erupted in Jerusalem escalates, then we will take the lead."
He then continued with a lengthy monologue, which typifies, in his opinion, the mood of Fatah.
"We feel that our choice of strategy, namely peace negotiations, has not been vindicated. The Americans (and specifically US Secretary of State John Kerry) came with good intentions but then became a rubber stamp for Israel's policies. The settlement expansion is not only an expression of Israel's anti-peace policies. On the ground this expansion actually makes the contiguity of a Palestinian state impossible, especially in the Jerusalem area. We must now gain the upper-hand over Hamas in our public opinion — this may come through international diplomatic achievements or through a nonviolent intifada."
