BETHLEHEM, West Bank: Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas’ Fatah movement renewed its charter on Sunday for the first time since the launch of the Middle East peace process in 1991 but Israel reacted angrily to its insistence on the right to resist.
At its first congress in 20 years, Fatah stressed its commitment to a negotiated peace with Israel. But delegates stopped short of renouncing violence.
“Fatah stresses its commitment to the pursuit of a comprehensive peace but reiterates the Palestinian people’s right to resistance to occupation in all its forms in line with international law,” the new charter said.
Israel reacted angrily with Environment Minister Gilad Erdan saying the Palestinians show “no real desire to reach a compromise with Israel.” He also complained that they have “no desire to recognize Israel as the state of the Jewish people” as requested by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Palestinians reject that demand amid concerns to safeguard the right of return for an estimated 4.5 million refugees and their descendants to homes they fled after the creation of Israel in 1948.
Fatah delegates renewed their commitment to the right of return. “Fatah remains faithful to its martyrs and prisoners, and expresses its commitment to the abiding demands of the Palestinian people — the liberation of its land, including Jerusalem, the dismantlement of settlements and the return of the refugees.” Information Minister Yuli Edelstein said he saw no difference between the programs of Fatah and Hamas. “If its program is to be believed, Fatah is just as extremist as Hamas and that’s worrying because it damages the prospects of reaching a compromise with the leadership of the Palestinian Authority,” he said.
Late on Sunday Fatah delegates began voting to renew the group’s governing bodies — the 21-strong Central Committee and the 120-member Revolutionary Council.
Ninety-six candidates, six of them women, are standing for election to the Central Committee and 617 party members, including 50 women, will vie for the 80 places open in a 128-seat Revolutionary Council, the body’s Parliament.
The voting was expected to take at least 10 hours. Tabulating results could take about a day. The voters were handed empty voting sheets and a list of candidates. Abbas was the first to cast his vote. It took Abbas almost 20 minutes to fill out the lengthy ballot.
