MEMRI Inquiry & Analysis Series 1266 August 31, 2016 Recent Violence In Nablus Reveals Rifts In Fatah, Triggers Calls For Tackling Fundamental Problems In Palestinian Society ~By: B. Shanee* The reason of my posting this criminal behavior in Nablus means that the Arabs are not mature enough to handle their domestic affairs in a Democratic way and thus, have proven to all that they are not fit to govern themselves as an entity. The whole world should be entitled to read between the lines... and, if a prisoner is killed because he did not address this situation according to his jailers means to any educated human being, that this is a warning for further criminal acts. Please read further, you will understand why I brought this article as a material precedent to other killings that will surely come in the near future. Introduction In recent weeks, the Palestinian press has featured numerous reports on unrest and violence in the West Bank city of Nablus; the violence culminated, during the night between August 22 and 23, in the killing of Ahmad Halawa, an official in the Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades, the military wing of the Fatah movement, by PA security forces. According to official PA reports, Halawa, who belongs to a distinguished Nablus family and who was also an officer in the PA police, was arrested in the middle of the night and brought to Al-Junaid prison in Nablus, where he was attacked and beaten to death by security personnel. The day after Halawa's killing, on August 23, Nablus Governor Akram Al-Rajoub called Halawa the "brains" behind the August 20 killing of two PA security personnel and said that his death would be investigated. Other sources reported that Halawa's body had showed signs of torture. Halawa's killing marked the culmination of a series of violent clashes during the last few months between PA security forces and local armed forces, some of which belong to Fatah. These clashes stemmed from the refusal of influential families in the city to accept the PA's authority. Some of these families, including the Halawa family, belong to factions within Fatah that do not support Fatah Chairman and PA President Mahmoud 'Abbas. Ahmad Halawa's killing enraged many of the city's residents, who regarded it as a grave and unjustified attack on a member of a prominent local family. The news of his death sparked further clashes that included gunfights between locals who support the Halawa family, some of them Fatah members, and PA security forces; numerous arrests, and a general strike announced by the Nablus chamber of commerce. The killing also sent shockwaves through the Fatah movement in Nablus: the movement harshly condemned the activity of the PA security forces and declared a period of mourning in the city; moreover, many Fatah members quit the movement as a gesture of solidarity with the Halawa family and in protest of the PA security forces' activity. In an attempt to alleviate tensions, the PA hastened to express regret over Halawa's killing, but clarified that its security forces would continue to pursue lawbreakers and act to enforce the law and ensure public safety. Palestinian Prime Minister Rami Al-Hamdallah called the killing an irregular incident that would be addressed by the government, and added that the government would not allow anyone to take the law into their own hands. The PA government announced that it would establish a special commission, headed by Justice Minister 'Ali Abu Diak, to investigate the killing. Security forces spokesman 'Adnan Al-Damiri also called the killing irregular, adding that it was not in accordance with either the security forces' policy or moral standards and had not benefited the forces in any way. In response to the rioting that followed Halawa's death, Prime Minister Hamdallah said that anyone, including security personnel, found responsible for harm to people or to the residents' security would face prosecution. In general, the PA framed the violent clashes in Nablus in recent weeks in terms of PA security forces combatting lawless local criminal elements in order to prevent security chaos in the city. However, as stated, Halawa's killing showed that the violence in the city is a manifestation of the power struggle among various factions within Fatah that seek to impose their authority in Nablus. Reports in the Palestinian press also indicate that the situation was made worse by its timing that is, in the run-up to the municipality elections set for October 8, 2016. The preparations for the elections have exacerbated existing tensions between local power brokers in the West Bank, revealing their complete rejection of the PA's authority and underscoring the PA's inability to maintain control of the city. The violent incidents in Nablus in the recent weeks were addressed in articles in the PA press. Some writers took the opportunity to criticize the anarchy that prevails in Palestinian society and the PA's deficient handling of local governance. Some called for acknowledging that the current chaos in Nablus was the result of failures in upbringing and culture, and cannot be blamed on the Israeli occupation. Others noted that the lawlessness in the city was symptomatic of root problems in PA society, pointing especially to the absence of civic values and of a sense of national affiliation, as well as to the prioritizing of personal interests above national ones. The writers also pointed out the grave deficiencies in the Palestinian political system and the ruling institutions' lack of legitimacy. This report will review reactions in Nablus and in the ranks of Fatah to Halawa's killing, as well as criticism in the Palestinian press in the recent weeks over the events in the city. In Nablus After Halawa's Killing: Strikes, Gunfights, And Calls To Fire PA Officials The killing of Halawa, who was referred to by the Nablus governor as the "brains" behind the killing two days previously of two Palestinian security personnel, caused an uproar in the city. In the hours after his death was announced, the businessmen's forum in the city along with a number of politicians and other prominent citizens declared a three-day city-wide general strike, during which businesses and stores in Nablus old city and other urban centers were closed. During the strike, as well as following Halawa's funeral on August 28, there were daily violent clashes between Nablus residents enraged by the recent killings in the city, chiefly Ahmad Al-Halawa's, and security forces, which included rock throwing and gunfights; security forces arrested a number of citizens. Read The Full Report http://www.memri.org/report/en/0/0/0/0/0/0/9419.htm For assistance, please contact MEMRI at memri@memri.org. P.O. Box 27837, Washington, DC 20038-7837 Phone: (202) 955-9070 | Fax: (202) 955-9077 The Middle East Media Research Institute (MEMRI) is an independent, non-profit organization that translates and analyzes the media of the Middle East. Copies of articles and documents cited, as well as background information, are available on request. MEMRI holds copyrights on all translations. Materials may only be used with proper attribution. ________________________________________ IMRA - Independent Media Review and Analysis
You mean intrigue, murder, collusion, corruption are only to be found in immature, undemocratic nations? What a paradise you must live in.
