Political observers fear that the uproar that began on July 16th in Gaza might cause fierce street fighting among the Palestinians themselves, if the PNA loses control. Amr, a member of the Palestinian Legislative Council (PLC), survived the assassination attempt with two bullets in his right leg, though news reports suggested the attackers beat him after the shooting. He did not charge anyone with his assault, but said that he will maintain his appeal for fundamental reforms in the PNA institutions. Al Sholi's fate is still unknown, as are the reasons behind his abduction.
The resignation of Palestinian Prime Minister Ahmed Qurie earlier this week deepened the political gloom in the Palestinian territories. Qurie resigned in protest over the political situation in Gaza and his "misunderstanding" withPresident Yasser Arafat. Observers regarded the resignation a blow to Arafat, who refused to accept it. On Wednesday, Arafat expressed his trust in the Palestinian cabinet's capacity to solve the crisis. He ordered the Palestinian police to probe the shooting. Meanwhile, Qurie said that he would remain in office for the time being, in order to maintain law and order. However, he would not withdraw his resignation.
On Tuesday, Arafat chaired a deadlocked cabinet meeting in Ramallah. On Wednesday, the emergency session of the PLC in Ramallah advised Arafat to accept Qurie's resignation, blaming Qurie's government for its failure to institute reforms and restore security and stability.
The outbreak of violence in Gaza began last Friday when a group of activists from the Al Aqsa Martyrs Brigade of Fatah in the Gaza Strip kidnapped the Gaza Police Chief Ghazi Jabali, accusing him of corruption and fraud. Jabali's release came after Arafat agreed to sack him and bring him to court. However, Arafat's decision to replace Jabali with Saed Ajazi did not calm the situation. Violence broke out in Gaza when Fatah activists rejected Ajazi's appointment, calling him "a distrusted person". Moreover, Arafat's decision to appoint his relative, Musa Arafat, as head of the Central Security Force in Gaza poured oil on the flames. A series of violent attacks were reported in the Gaza Strip, where Fatah activists attacked the police headquarters in Khan Younis and burned it. The activists said that Musa Arafat "symbolizes corruption and cronyism among PNA officials".
Arafat's recent appointments came in response to heated calls by Palestinians to reform the PNA's institutions. The outburst in Gaza forced Arafat to integrate the PNA's many security bodies into three, but Palestinians remained dissatisfied, believing that more fundamental reforms are required. Palestinian national factions and organizations delivered a petition to Arafat urging him to restore peace and stability in the Occupied Territories immediately. Palestinian political analysts, meanwhile, warned of the negative effects the Palestinian people would suffer due to the current turmoil in Gaza.
"It is not an issue of changing faces or positions, but rather, the whole Palestinian political structure needs to be reviewed and streamlined with democratic ethics," said analyst Talal Oukal. He expected the turmoil in Gaza would continue if the PNA "did not take immediate drastic actions to reform its institutions." Oukal noted that if the PNA leadership failed to introduce fundamental reforms, "it would be subject to external reforms that could bring in inappropriate political agendas for the Palestinian people." PLC member Hanan Ashrawi, meanwhile supported Qurie's resignation, saying the Palestinian cabinet, "must act immediately and crack down on corruption and adjust the political deficiencies in PNA institutions."
Analysts fear the current outbreak in Gaza would water down the latest political feat that the PNA achieved - the verdict by the International Court of Justice (ICJ) earlier this month, outlawing the wall that Israel is constructing in the West Bank. Gaza's turmoil also coincided with Tuesday's landslide decision by the UN's General Assembly urging Israel to immediately tear down the wall and comply with the ICJ's verdict.
"I don't think the political deterioration in Gaza will harm the PNA's achievements on the Israeli wall issue," Adnan Abu Odeh, former minister and Ambassador to the UN, told The Star. He termed the turmoil in Gaza as "unfortunate" and its timing "totally wrong." "We are not in need of such bloody disputes among the Palestinians. They should solve their problems through dialogue," he added. He said that Arafat's control over the PNA's affairs has slackened lately due to his longtime confinement at his office in Ramallah, which, "gave resistance factions the opportunity to control the Palestinian street." Abu Odeh said that there is a "crisis of mistrust" between Arafat, Qurie, the resistance factions and the PLC. "Erosions in PNA infrastructure and institutions have been taking place for a long time. It was not the fault of Arafat alone, but other people too." Calls were uttered in Gaza this week, urging Arafat to quit his post as President. They received mixed reactions from the Palestinian street, where many thought the time inappropriate to replace him. Others, however, made it clear that Arafat's venerable leadership of the Palestinian struggle since the 1960s is coming to an end and he should give way to new blood.
"I strongly believe the Gaza turmoil gives a clear message to Arafat: Leave and let others live," said political analyst Labib Qamhawi. "It could be a tough option for the Palestinians, but it would serve their interests in the long run." Qamhawi suggested that the recent changes Arafat made in Gaza, "disdained the Palestinian people's demand for real reforms." He called on the Palestinian National Council, the Central Executive Committee of Fatah and the PLC, "to hold a joint meeting to elect a new leadership for the Palestinian people." While Abu Odeh disagrees with Qamhawi on Arafat's departure, he did not rule out suggestions that external powers might be the motivators behind the recent Gaza violence. "Israel is the main beneficiary of a Palestinian-Palestinian conflict," he said. He called on the Palestinian President to hasten reforms before it is too late. "The Palestinian guns should be directed towards Israeli soldiers and armed Jewish settlers," Abu Odeh stressed. "Real, fundamental and comprehensive political reforms in all the PNA institutions would certainly end the deteriorating situation there." He felt things would only worsen if left unresolved in the near future."
