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RAMALLAH, West Financial institution (AP) — A high aide to President Mahmoud Abbas was heard in newly launched recordings on Tuesday cursing the Palestinian chief and insulting different members of the Palestinian management.
The purported remarks by Hussein al-Sheikh, a senior official who’s seen as a possible successor to the 87-year-old Abbas, gave a glimpse of the bitter infighting contained in the Palestinian management as a number of hopefuls attempt to place themselves for the post-Abbas period.
The embattled chief has not designated a successor, and final 12 months he known as off what would have been the primary Palestinian parliamentary elections in 15 years.
The recordings have been launched by a information web site run by the militant Hamas group, the bitter rival of Abbas’ Fatah celebration.
Hamas ousted pro-Abbas forces and took over the Gaza Strip in 2007, leaving him confined to the Israeli-occupied West Financial institution. It was not identified when the recordings have been made, who made them or how Hamas obtained them.
The precise context of the conversations additionally wasn’t clear. However al-Sheikh is repeatedly heard complaining about Abbas and denigrating different potential contenders for the presidency.
Al-Sheikh is a senior official who holds the highly effective place of overseeing day-to-day relations with Israel. He additionally was named this 12 months as secretary-general of the Palestine Liberation Group, elevating hypothesis that Abbas was grooming him for the presidency.
Abbas, who was elected for what was speculated to be a four-year time period in 2006, has grown more and more unpopular throughout his years in workplace. He’s extensively seen as autocratic and out of contact together with his individuals, and he shares blame for years of failed, on-and-off peace negotiations.
Fees of corruption contained in the PA, its shut safety coordination with Israel, its failure to cease Israel’s each day navy operations in Palestinian-administered areas of the West Financial institution and measures to squeeze Hamas in Gaza — worsening circumstances for its 2.3 million residents — have additionally contributed to his unpopularity.
’All through the recording al-Sheikh refers to Abbas with a sequence of profanities.
In one other part of the greater than 3-minute audio, al-Sheikh says Abbas “is a associate within the chaos and has an curiosity for it to stay.”
It was not clear if al-Sheikh was referring to the current months of Israeli-Palestinian violence within the occupied West Financial institution, or protests towards Abbas’ Palestinian Authority following the loss of life of a outstanding critic in Palestinian custody in 2021.
The sounds of the audio rewinding and forwarding are heard, suggesting they have been edited and maybe be taken out of context. Neither Abbas nor al-Sheikh’s workplace responded to inquiries for remark.
Al-Sheikh continues to say that Abbas is nervous concerning the consideration Israel and the U.S. administration have proven to some main politicians. He accuses senior safety officers of being concerned in planning for the post-Abbas period.
In an interview with the Related Press in June, Al-Sheikh declined to say whether or not he needs to succeed Abbas.
He stated the following president needs to be chosen via elections, however that they might solely be held if Israel permits voting in all of east Jerusalem, successfully giving it a veto over any different elected management.
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