The shootout that greeted Mahmoud Abbas, the Palestinian heir presumptive, in Gaza yesterday may not have been a deliberate assassination attempt as initially reported. But there is no doubt that the incident, in which two security officers were killed by as yet unknown gunmen, must be seen as the latest sign of the tension that has gripped the occupied territories since Yasser Arafat’s death last week.
The dramatic incident came only hours after Al-Fatah, Arafat’s principal organization, chose Abbas as its candidate in the presidential election scheduled for Jan. 9, 2005. Although Abbas had gone to Gaza to preside over a memorial service for Arafat, it was clear that he was also launching his own presidential campaign.
Gaza has never warmed up to Abbas who is regarded by the more radical Palestinian organizations as too soft on Israel. Abbas, known for his frankness, has not helped himself by publicly stating that the second intifada, which has been the most intense in Gaza, has brought nothing but disaster for the Palestinian people.
The Gaza shootout is certainly bad news for the new Palestinian leadership that has been trying to project an image of efficiency and unity. The new leaders have not helped their image by trying to explain away the whole episode as a minor incident caused by accidental shooting. Eyewitnesses, however, offer a different version. According to them, the shootout started immediately after Abbas entered a vast tent set up to receive people coming to mourn Arafat. The shooting was definitely in the direction of Abbas, although probably not aimed at him. The two men who were killed in the gunfight were members of the Palestinian National Guard, assigned to secure the tent and protect the visitor.
The least that the Palestinian leaders can do is to conduct a proper investigation into the circumstances of the deadly incident and to close any loopholes that might remain in their method of protecting the political personalities. With the presidential election campaign due to begin soon it is important that the candidates be able to move around to address rallies and meet voters in as many places as possible.
Gaza, a no-go area for almost three years, needs to be opened up to the legitimate Palestinian Authority. And that requires the disarming of the various armed groups that act as mini-states where violence and racketeering are twins. According to most estimates, there are more than a million weapons in Gaza of a population of 1.8 million. A full disarmament, therefore, may not be achievable in the immediate future. Urgent measures, however, need to be taken to prevent gunmen from intimidating candidates and voters. The Gaza gunmen have said repeatedly that they will do all they can to derail the emergence of a moderate, elected authority in the occupied territories. The shots they fired yesterday may or may not have been a warning. But the Palestinian leaders would be wise to take it as such.
The Palestine of bullets and the Palestine of ballots are heading for a showdown in just 60 days. The world will be watching with interest.
