Abu Mazen Plays Neutral On West Bank Protests
The Palestinian Authority has publicly supported the West Bank protests, but is keen to avoid spoiling US President Barack Obama's visit in March, writes Daoud Kuttab.
One of the biggest questions being raised these days is whether the Ramallah-based Palestinian leadership favors the escalation of Palestinian protests. For the past few weeks, Palestinian anger has been publicly displayed in various forms, most prominently in street protests that have raised speculation that a third intifada could be around the corner.
Protests have escalated largely in parallel to and in support of the hunger strikes, including the months-long fast by Samer Issawi and other prisoners. These protests received a boost of sorts when Israeli prison officials revealed that a 30-year-old detainee in their care, Arafat Jaradat, died last Saturday, Feb. 23. Initial Israeli claims that his death was due to an unexpected heart attack were never accepted by Palestinians, who were certain, due to previous experience, that his death was the result of torture. An autopsy attended by a Palestinian doctor appears to have confirmed the Palestinian narrative.
With Jaradat's death, the violent escalations threatened to get out of hand, and could easily continue up to and during the visit of US President Barack Obama in the second half of March.
Israeli military and political officials quickly moved to reduce some of the causes of Palestinian anger. Samer Issawi’s detention was shortened to a possible release date of March 8, a full two weeks before Obama’s arrival.
