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Rising Tensions in Gaza after PA Cuts Salaries

(Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs) Pinhas Inbari - In Gaza there are on-going protest demonstrations by PA employees whose salaries have been reduced by 30% after a decision by PA Prime Minister Rami Hamdallah's government in Ramallah. These are the employees that served the Palestinian Authority before Hamas took over Gaza in 2007, who were ordered to stay home by the PA in order not to recognize the Hamas regime as legal. So, they were getting salaries while staying home. According to Fatah sources in Ramallah, when President Abbas decided to take this step, he had in mind to stir the emotions of Gazans against Hamas and in a way revive the recent electricity-shortage protests that were directed against Hamas. Senior Fatah officials in Ramallah of Gaza origin warned Abbas against taking this line but were ignored. And indeed, when the PA employees in Gaza gathered for the angry protest, they did not direct their blame at Hamas but at Rami Hamdallah, the PA prime minister, calling for him to "go" in slogans copied from Egypt's Tahrir Square demonstrations against Egyptian President Mubarak. At this stage, they did not formally direct blame at Abbas because they did not want to risk the rest of their salaries The writer, a veteran Arab affairs correspondent for Israel Radio, is an analyst for the Jerusalem Center.
2017-04-13 00:00:00
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