(New York Times) Samer Sinijlawi - I joined Fatah Youth in Jerusalem during the First Intifada in 1987 when I was 15. Several years later, with other young Fatah leaders, I met Mahmoud Abbas in his office in Ramallah. He was then No. 2 in the Palestine Liberation Organization. He was in his 50s; we were in our 20s. "You are tomorrow's leaders," he would tell us. Today, Abbas is in his late 80s, we are in our 50s, and that tomorrow never came. Abbas' leadership as president of the Palestinian Authority has failed to deliver democracy to his people, failed to keep them safe, failed to manage a viable economy, and failed to ensure they can live a dignified life. The Palestinian Authority is increasingly invoked as the one entity that could bring unity back to Gaza and the West Bank. But for us Palestinians, that solution will have legitimacy only if there are fundamental changes in the authority's structure - and that includes removing Abbas and his cronies from power. Since the establishment of the PA in 1994, Palestinian citizens have been watching their leaders' manifest lack of respect for the rule of law. Violation of their constituents' rights and freedoms have included allegations of embezzlement, arbitrary arrests and detention, torture and beatings. Today, the president effectively controls the legislative, judicial and executive branches of government. Allegations of corruption are widespread. A new government for the Palestinians must find a way to join hands with Israel in bringing down the curtain on one of the most complex conflicts of the modern era. President Abbas must leave the political scene and be allowed to live his remaining days in dignity. The writer is a political activist and Palestinian political commentator from eastern Jerusalem.
2023-12-22 00:00:00Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive