By Khaled Abu Toameh
- Hostility towards the Palestinian Authority (PA) seems to have reached unprecedented heights among refugee camp residents.
- A chat with young Palestinians in any refugee camp in the West Bank will reveal a driving sense of betrayal. In these camps, the PA seems as much the enemy as Israel. They speak of the PA as a corrupt and incompetent body that is managed by "mafia leaders." Many camp activists believe it is only a matter of time before Palestinians launch an intifada against the PA.
- Nablus, the largest city in the West Bank, is surrounded by a number of refugee camps that are effectively controlled by dozens of Fatah gangs that have long been terrorizing the city's wealthy clans and leading figures.
- Hamas, of course, is cheering on the sidelines as it watches the PA-controlled territories going to hell.
In April of this year, a fierce gun battle erupted between Palestinian Authority security officers and members of the Jaradat clan in the refugee camp of Jenin. The clash started during an attempt to arrest a clan member. (Image source: Palestinian Press Agency)
Palestinians fear that their communities may be facing a return to anarchy and falatan amni, or "security chaos."
Recent incidents are yet another sign of the Palestinian Authority's failure to enforce law and order, especially in refugee camps such as Balata (near Nablus) Qalandya (near Ramallah) and the Jenin refugee camp.
Moreover, these incidents are an indication of mounting tensions among rival camps inside Fatah and between the refugees and the Palestinians living in the big cities surrounding the camps.
1 comment:
Good post.
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