Are we approaching drama in Ramallah? Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas is being hoisted to choose on Thursday whether to sign a presidential decree that will launch the Community Support Committee in the Gaza Strip. The committee will effectively rule over the Gaza Strip after the war.
Abbas who is chairman of the Palestinian Authority (PA,) wanted to avoid signing the decree for two reasons. The first is his loss of exclusive control over Gaza, which would be transferred to Muhammad Mustafa, who also holds American citizenship. On the other hand, if he refuses, he may risk possible international isolation.
The European Union (EU), which is the PA's economic lifeline, has put forth the idea of suspending funds to Ramallah if it does not approve the establishment of the committee.
"Abbas is in a situation reminiscent of the days of the siege on Yasser Arafat," one of the PA's senior officials described in a conversation with Ynet. "Abu Amar (the name Arafat went by,) was isolated during the ultimatum. The Americans supported Abbas, who was then the Palestinian prime minister, and invited him to the Aqaba summit.
"He understands that now the Americans are giving up on him through this committee. He hoped to rule the Gaza Strip through the PA institutions and not through an external committee," the senior official said.
According to the same source, Abbas was interested in strengthening his rule, despite being 89 years old. The PA chairman's popularity has soared in recent months in the Gaza Strip, after he declared during a visit to Turkey that he intended to visit Gaza to "see the suffering up close," as he put it. If the decree is signed, Abbas will receive the support of the U.S. and Egypt, but knows he will have lost all governmental authority to control Gaza through the PA.
Will it act as a government in Gaza: What will the committee do?
In the first phase, the committee will deal with medical care for the sick and wounded following the war, finding housing solutions for the many displaced people, and ensuring that food is brought in and distributed to civilians. Hamas was able to maintain its control over populace with food distribution during the war.
In the second phase, according to the plans, the committee will build schools, create educational frameworks, and rehabilitate infrastructure such as destroyed roads. The committee's powers were discussed earlier this week in Cairo, where Fatah and Hamas officials met. However, the committee will not be subordinate to any Palestinian faction and will answer to American overseers as well as Egypt and other European countries that will provide the funding. The United Arab Emirates is also expected to assist that committee.
Abdallah Abdullah, a member of the Fatah movement's advisory council, revealed on Wednesday that Arab countries were participating with Egypt to support the committee for the Gaza Strip. "Saudi Arabia and Jordan support this committee. There are Palestinian efforts to include Algeria among the countries supporting it," he said.
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"We will not discuss this, we want Hamas to welcome the arrival of the PA in Gaza." Fatah's central committee member, Jibril Rajoub, said.
Ynet has learned that the head of the committee will be a West Bank resident, with a background in economics and access to the West. He will run it along with about 14 other members, most of whom will also come from the West Bank with a political agenda that opposes the rule of armed factions such as Hamas and Islamic Jihad in Gaza.