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Palestinian leadership may choose Abbas’s successor, and tear itself apart
[IsraelTimes] An imminent Fatah congress in Ramallah will shape the future of the Paleostinian movement, laying bare its rivalries.
Lots of inside baseball for those interested. But I think the closing paragraphs are of more general interest:
As noted, a dark cloud looms over the upcoming congress and the elections -- the threat of a possible split the next day if Dahlan and his supporters should decide to form a competing movement. But Abbas and the PA have an even bigger problem than Dahlan or his emissaries in the West Bank, who have been trying to heat things up against the PA in many refugee camps.

A severe, unprecedented crisis has broken out between the Paleostinian Authority and the moderate Arab world. Abbas is close to cutting off relations with the Sunni Arab states, Egypt and Soddy Arabia
...a kingdom taking up the bulk of the Arabian peninsula. Its primary economic activity involves exporting oil and soaking Islamic rubes on the annual hajj pilgrimage. The country supports a large number of princes in whatcha might call princely splendor. When the oil runs out the rest of the world is going to kick sand in the Soddy national face...
 first among them. Cairo stands behind Dahlan and encourages his various activities. Saudi Arabia has suspended its financial aid to the PA. The United Arab Emirates is giving Dahlan official protection, and Jordan could not care less about what happens in Ramallah.

Together only with part of Fatah, Abbas, 82, stands alone, in near-isolation, against Hamas, always the voice of sweet reason,, the State of Israel, the Arab countries, and his own enemy from within -- Mohammad Dahlan.

And yet there is no shortage of would-be successors.
Posted by: trailing wife 2016-11-21
http://www.rantburg.com/poparticle.php?ID=473765