Palestinian Professor Incites Against Abbas

Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas is finding out these days that incitement is a two-edged sword.

A Palestinian professor and political analyst demanded over the weekend that Abbas should be executed for violating Fatah’s constitution by keeping himself in power by suspending elections. Elected for a four-year term, Abbas has served 11 consecutive years without holding elections, The Jerusalem Post reported.

Besides the issue of elections, Prof. Abdel Sattar Qassem charged that Abbas should be executed for following a policy of rapprochement with Israel or assistance to the Israeli “occupation,” a capital crime in Palestinian law.
In response, Palestinian Minister of Waqf and Religious Affairs, Youssef Ideiss, denounced Qassem’s remarks as inciting to kill the PA president, and liable to spark a civil war.

On the other hand, Hamas and the Islamic Jihad took Qassem’s side, accusing Fatah of “incitement” against Qassem. Hamas said that “Fatah’s campaign is an attempt to silence any criticism about the Palestinian Authority and its leadership, especially regarding the security coordination with Israel.”