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Fact Sheets#26: The Palestinian Prime Minister(September 9, 2003)It is in the interest of both Israelis and the Palestinians that the Palestinian Authority have a strong Prime Minister with the will, authority, and capability to dismantle the terrorist infrastructure, as required by the road map, so the peace process can be advanced. Abu Mazen’s demise was sadly predictable because he explicitly refused to put an end to terrorism and Yasser Arafat undermined the little authority that he did have. Korei is the number three man in the PLO (Abu Mazen was number two) and is loyal to PLO chairman Yasser Arafat. He has been involved in the violent history of the Palestinian struggle against Israel for more than three decades. His background, however, has been primarily in finance rather then terror operations. Ahmed Korei has been involved in peace negotiations with Israel – he was one of the PLO leaders who met secretly with Israelis in Norway to negotiate the Oslo accords — and has demonstrated an interest in reaching an agreement that will lead to a two-state solution to the conflict. He is someone Israel can work with and has the potential for resuscitating the peace process. It was frequently noted that Abu Mazen never had the support of the Palestinian people and that made it difficult for him to lead. If public support is the determining factor, then Korei will face similar obstacles as he is considered an aristocrat who is not popular among ordinary Palestinians. If Yasser Arafat was interested in peace, and putting an end to terror, he could demonstrate that commitment at any time by using his authority as president to arrest the terrorists and dismantle their networks. So long as he remains the person in charge of the security forces of the country, and prevents action from being taken to stop the violence, it will not matter who becomes Prime Minister of the Palestinian Authority. Israel agreed to the road map and has been taking measures to fulfill its commitments. Israel remains willing to move forward in the peace process, but no progress can be expected unless the violence stops. No Israeli government can tolerate an unmitigated threat against its citizens. Abu Mazen was put to the test by the international community and he failed. Prime Minister Korei now faces the same test. If he takes immediate action against the terrorists who are determined to sabotage the road map, and committed to Israel’s destruction, Israel will respond by fulfilling its equally difficult requirements, and the prospect for an end to the suffering of the Israeli and Palestinian peoples will be bright. If Korei follows Abu Mazen’s example, however, and refuses to face up to the unavoidable task of eradicating terrorism, then everyone will suffer. |
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