One of the strongmen of Palestinian politics, Jibril Rajoub, resigned from the government on Tuesday night as the newly elected President, Mahmoud Abbas, prepared to embark on a long-awaited shake-up of the security services.
Abbas, who on Tuesday spoke on the phone to the Israeli prime minister, Ariel Sharon, for the first time since being elected on Sunday, has consistently opposed the use of violence in the four-year-old Palestinian uprising.
Israel has demanded a crackdown by Palestinian security forces on Hamas and other groups still engaged in violence.
Rajoub, who was Yasser Arafat’s security adviser, told The Guardian he had resigned to allow the new president to appoint his own advisers. He insisted there was no disagreement with Abbas on reform of Palestinian forces.
He said he backed Abbas’s reform plan. ”I agree with him 100%, and hope he will implement it.”
Abbas is intent on a single commander of a new streamlined security service. Israel, along with the US and Britain, has been pressing the Palestinian Authority for the last two years to merge the dozen different and chaotic branches of the security services into a more manageable and disciplined force capable of tackling the Islamist groups Hamas and Islamic Jihad.
Rajoub’s resignation could yet turn out to be merely a gesture to show that Abbas is in charge. Even while Arafat was in power, Rajoub advocated reducing the dozen security branches to three, much the same policy as is now being pursued by Abbas.
A Palestinian official said on Tuesday night that Rajoub had resigned ”to leave space for Abu Mazen [as Abbas is known among Palestinians] to reorganise the security services”. The official said he expected Rajoub to play a part in the government in some capacity.
Abbas could begin making new appointments today, indicating whether he has sufficient power to dispense with the cronies from Arafat’s administration.
In defiance of a call by Abbas for an end to rocket and mortar attacks on Israeli targets, Hamas fired fresh batches from Gaza on Tuesday morning. The Israeli army said several buildings, including a synagogue packed with worshippers, were damaged. An Israeli hit by a rocket attack near the Erez crossing in Gaza on January 2 died on Tuesday.
Rajoub, the former head of security in the West Bank, is one of the most powerful figures in Palestinian politics, part of a trio of younger-generation leaders. The others are Muhammad Dahlan, an influential figure in Gaza, and Marwan Barghouti, who is in an Israeli jail.
Rajoub and Dahlan, who was head of security in Gaza, have long been fierce rivals but met in Ramallah on Tuesday for what Palestinian officials described as a meeting of reconciliation. The infighting between them has had a destructive impact on the Palestinian Authority’s security forces.
Rajoub said on Tuesday night: ”The difficulties with Mr Dahlan are over. The problem is settled. There is no more tension.”
He added: ”I have resigned to give him [Abbas] the chance to choose his own advisers and I feel that everyone else [other advisers and ministers] should take the same step.”
He refused to say whether he intended to rejoin the government. ”The resignation is not a political issue. I am a member of Fatah [the dominant faction in Palestinian politics, of which Abbas is head]. I will remain committed to the movement.”
Rajoub has had a stormy political life, being sacked by Arafat after surrendering the fortress-like security compound in Ramallah in 2002 in the face heavy bombardment from Israeli tanks. Arafat brought him back into government and, latterly, used him as a conduit for secret talks with Sharon’s son, Omri.
In their phone call on Tuesday, Sharon and Abbas agreed to meet ”very soon”, according to Palestinian and Israeli officials.
The Palestinians said the call had lasted 10 minutes and they had discussed a revival of the peace process, while the Israelis said it lasted a couple of minutes and Sharon only congratulated Abbas on his victory and suggested they meet. The two have met seven times in the past.
Ranaan Gissin, Sharon’s spokesperson, said: ”For us the main issue is security.” He added: ”If the Palestinians take real control of security, we would like to hand over to them responsibility and that includes not only Gaza but the major towns in Judea and Samaria [the Israeli terminology for the West Bank].”
The Israeli army at present occupies both Gaza and the West Bank. – Guardian Unlimited Â