Arab Perspective: Abu Mazen leaves a trail of challenges

The resignation of Mahmood Abass (Abu Mazen) as Palestinian Prime Minister received a mixed response in the Arabic media, with some seeing it as a fatal blow to the peace process, and others arguing that it was Israeli intransigence supported by American complicity that made his job impossible - not to mention the role of internal Palestinian bickering. Dr. Marwan Al Asmar of the Gulf News Research Centre looks at what the Arabic press had to say.

Abdel Wahab Badrakhan, of the UK-based Al Hayat, lists three reasons that forced Abu Mazen's resignation: there was no support by the United States for his government; there was a lack of cooperation by Israel over his methods of dealing with the security issue; and Palestinian President Yasser Arafat was unwilling to delegate any power to his government.

Badrakhan says any future Palestinian government will need the co-operation of these three parties and it will fail if any one of them tries to impose any conditions.

"As soon as he announced his resignation, Israel launched air strikes to assassinate Hamas leader Sheikh Hamad Yassin, something that surely proves Israel is not interested in the path followed by Abu Mazen.

"As for the United States it was feeble, even when Israel said it would expel Yasser Arafat. Abu Mazen was prepared to sit out the endless Israeli provocations and even Palestinian unpopularity with the belief in the end the United States will come to his rescue. "However he finally realised this was not coming," Badrakhan adds.

In its editorial, Al Bayan (UAE) says it is America and Israel that are to blame for the resignation of Abu Mazen. "His credibility was at stake when he became seen as someone liked by the Americans and Israelis. This was a serious problem right from the start.

By his own admission, the American and Israeli intervention on his behalf in the struggle over authority with Yasser Arafat created anger within the Palestinian ranks. Consequently, he was forced to resign.

"The view from the USA and Europe that the resignation of Abu Mazen had dealt a fatal blow to the peace process is simply wrong because it suggests the Palestinians were against a peaceful solution before he come to power.

The paper says the Palestinians were always in favour of peace but not a solution imposed by the Israel. Al Bayan adds that Abu Mazen "never compromised".

"He stuck to his principles which included the right of return of Palestinian refugees to their homeland and never questioned the legitimacy of the Palestinian leadership led by Yasser Arafat."

In its editorial, Al Sharq newspaper in Qatar puts the blame on the government of Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon for the resignation of Abu Mazen because he was "attempting to force Abu Mazen into what is tantamount to a civil war with the different Palestinian factions".

The editorial states: "Israel refused to deal with Yasser Arafat as a symbol of Palestinian identity and was intent upon his political assassination.

"Further to that, Israel has turned the negotiating table upside down on the heads of the big four: United States, United Nations, Europe and Russia. They all caved in to her demands that increase day by day," Al Sharq suggests.

"It is time this bloody saga stops and a new voice is made in the ears of the Israeli government, a strong voice that carries weight to reject the daily violence against the Palestinians."

"The resignation of Abu Mazen and his government points to what most are saying - that the present Palestinian leadership is finished and the Palestinian people and the whole issue have become the sacrificial lamb of personality struggles and illegitimate demands," says Ahmed Al Rub'ie in Ashraq Al Awsat.

He points out that what is happening seems to have a strange ring to it. "Palestinians include very educated people, yet they are kept out of the administration. Instead seats in high office are filled by people who spent their lives in Beirut and Damascus, and have brought an outdated mentality.

"Yasser Arafat has been the Palestinian leader since the revolution started in 1965 and is still holding all the cards, refusing to share decisions with anyone, including those around him - despite the fact that they belong to the same old school of thinking.

"These people have succeeded in hijacking the Intifada and turning it into a vehicle for military operations against Israeli civilians. And they have confined the Palestinians into becoming people who merely pay their respects and condolences to the families of martyrs".

Al Rub'ei adds: "There must surely be a more dynamic mentality in dealing with an Israeli state that is only too known for its terrorist activities. It is a difficult situation, and today the Palestinian people are the ones who are hijacked and Israel is the winner, as usual."