20 Nov 2009 11:37 AM
By
Fadi Elsalameen
For the past several years Palestinian Prime Minister Salam Fayyad’s name on the streets of the West Bank and Gaza has become synonymous with the words credibility, honesty, and transparency.
His hard work on building and reforming Palestinian institutions has paid off: Palestinians see him as a serious leader that can deliver to his people with or without the Israelis.
He has raised the bar of leadership so high that officials in the Fatah and Hamas movements are feeling extremely uncomfortable and challenged. A senior Fatah leader and member of its central committee told me , last week, while the Brooking Institutions’ Saban Forum was taking place in Jerusalem “everyone comes to Ramallah to see Fayyad; they add us and Abu Mazen on their programs just as an excuse.”
The Fatah official was almost right: Saban Forum did send a delegation to Ramallah, but they didn’t add him or Abu Mazen on the schedule, they only met with Prime Minister Fayyad.
This is the right approach: if the Palestinian politicians remain in internal political quagmire, the world should pay attention to those who are building in Palestine and help them build.
The international community should deal directly with the new style of leadership that is emerging in Palestine. It is the wish of the Palestinian people. The cult of self-appointed personalities that have done nothing for the Palestinians other than use their cause to create prestige for themselves and their families should be ousted. Everyone on the streets of the West Bank and Gaza will agree.
Why can’t they retire from political life, join universities in Palestine, and write books for the next generation to learn from their mistakes? Jibril Rijoub is one example of a Fatah politician that changed his useless political existence into a popular and productive head of sports. He is successfully building sports teams, and stadiums and giving sports a whole new meaning in Palestine.
When Arafat passed away, he took with him his style of leadership, and left the Palestinians with Abu Mazen and the personalities surrounding him as the figures of the transition period that followed.
That is why soon after people voted for Hamas, they did it for two reasons: to punish Fatah for its corruption, and out of a deep desire for change and improvement they wanted to see if Hamas could deliver what Fatah couldn’t.
Alas, to most Palestinians, Hamas and Fatah are both incompetent at this point. Nothing has been accomplished by either party to advance the cause of the Palestinians. In fact, the Palestinians are years behind.
Their PA and Fatah leadership enjoys traveling and shopping on trips abroad. No wonder President Abu Mazen couldn’t deliver much. He had no team. Meanwhile, Hamas is implementing Talibani backward policies such as Hijab in schools, and demanding women judges to cover in courts. Both Fatah and Hamas supporters are dismayed with their party leadership.
We must take note of an important change that is occurring in Palestine. Anyone on the streets will tell you Salam Fayyad is always visiting us, while Abbas and his people spend more days outside Palestine than inside.
Fayyad’s party does not represent a majority in Palestine and some might view this as a weakness. Nonetheless, he represents a style of Palestinian leadership that needs to be endorsed, and supported. He is in touch with his people. He has visited almost every town in the West Bank, he puts on his shorts and runs in marathons for the handicapped, and when tragic personal events strike simple people in Palestine he calls them on the phone to elevate their spirits, promises to visit them personally, and then he actually does visit.
Fayyad’s is a promising example of leadership. The world owes it to the Palestinian people -who have yet to see a bright day in their lives- to support this kind of leadership and give it a chance to succeed. The people are ready to elect it and give it a mandate to implement its vision, and the world, especially the Arab world and Israel, must come through and help it deliver.
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Posted
at
20 Nov 2009 11:37 AM
by
Fadi Elsalameen
Posted By
Citizen
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20 Nov 2009 12:11 PM
Well, unfortunately Fayyad has no serious partner on the other side. While he is busy building up Palestinian civic institutions that are the necessary foundation for a sustainable Palestinian state, other stakeholders are determined to tear the 'peace process' down, those institutions and Fayyad's work will be meaningless if there is no clear path to statehood.
Posted By
Yakazdir
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20 Nov 2009 2:52 PM
Well written article. I would encourage all Palestinians regardless of their parties to encourage and side with this type of leadership. Palestinians must support leaders who show full commitment to the Palestinian cause and distant themselves from the so called "bipartisan bullcrab".
Posted By
Layla
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20 Nov 2009 4:13 PM
If the Palestinians raise the level of their leadership style, as Fayyad is doing, the Israelis will want to match them with their own compassionate, mature leadership. After all, Israelis pride themselves on being "good." ("A light unto the nations.") On the other hand, if all the Israelis see are self-important figureheads in the Palestinian leadership, they elect the kind of leaders who can handle them. It's not pretty.
Posted By
Fadi Elsalameen
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21 Nov 2009 3:21 PM
This is what I wrote several years ago before Hamas took office: If Fayyad is not supported , he will be another Abu Mazen.
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This is a crucial time for President Mahmud Abbas. Unlike any other Palestinian official before him, he has held back on putting forward any final status issues, making security and reforms his top priority. Abu Mazen so far has ignored apparent splits within his movement, Fatah, and focused on bringing together the Palestinian factions, and beyond that, integrating them within the political system. Soon, Abu Mazen plans to use a law passed by Palestinian legislators last month to forcibly retire about 1,000 members of the security forces who are over the age of 60, opening the doors for a new generation to take charge, and putting an end to corruption.
This will be translated into two lessons depending on the response Abu Mazen receives from the Israelis, and the Americans. First, resign, and never do this again. Should the Israelis keep on ignoring Abu Mazin, undermining his policies, and accusing him of not doing enough, and at the same time, continue to plan settlements advancements and building the separation wall; anyone can bet that we are heading towards a new wave of violence. If Congress retracts its support for Abu Mazen, especially by placing harsh restrictions than even Arafat?s era, on the aid promised to the Palestinian Authority, Abu Mazen?s authority will not only be undermined, but his ability to strengthen himself against these rifts will be shattered.
Abu Mazen has yet to meet with the new head of Fatah, Farouq Qadoumi. This is a serious split within Fatah. Abu Mazen has made it clear that Hamas, as well as other militant factions are encouraged to enter the race for parliamentary elections, sparking even more anger among Fatah for what seems to be an inevitable weakening of his own party. Hamas has been so far the choice in municipality elections, and most indications point towards Hamas as the leading winner in the upcoming parliamentary elections. Should this happen, with only a couple of Palestinian cities under Palestinian control, let alone the rest of the issues remaining the same, Abu Mazen will be even weaker, and the prospect of him being able to fulfill his goal as a transition figure will greatly diminish.
There is a clear chance for hope; we have to pay attention to it. It is Abu Mazen. The United States, as well as Israel must give Abu Mazen the chance to deliver. Having Mofaz in Washington, DC accusing him of not doing enough will not help, but will reiterate to the Palestinians that Israelis are still using the same old language, and change is far from coming. Abu Mazen has been working on the Palestinian grounds relentlessly to set up the stage for the next period. The Americans, and the Israelis guaranteeing Abu Mazen the required support to go back home and continue his work is just as essential for the next stage. This should be Abu Mazen?s second lesson, a lesson of encouragement rather than that of empty accusations and promises. Making Abu Mazen?s upcoming visit to Washington a great success is, a good start."