Clashes Between Hamas And Fatah Renewed After Hamas Official Slights Yasser Arafat

The Jerusalem Post reports:  Shortly after Egypt’s President Abdel Fatah al-Sisi called on Palestinian factions to unite, already strained relations between Hamas and Fatah reached new heights.

Mahmoud al-Zahar, a member of Hamas’ political bureau, insulted Yasser Arafat, the forefather of the Palestinian resistance movement and Fatah’s founder.

Speaking at a press conference on Tuesday, Zahar accused Arafat of cowardice during the battle of Karameh, a major skirmish between Fatah militants and IDF forces that took place in the Jordanian town of Karameh in 1968.

“When he saw the Israeli tanks heading toward Karameh, Abu Ammar (Arafat’s moniker) fled on his Vespa and did not participate in the fighting. Arafat went to Amman and held a press conference only after the victory in the battle,” Zahar claimed.

Zahar’s criticism of the late leader is noteworthy because of the importance Palestinians attribute to this battle. The victory claimed by Fatah in Karameh was a turning point in the history of the Palestinian national resistance movement, since it drew the Arab world’s attention to the Palestinian issue.

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