When PA Chairman Mahmoud Abbas (Abu Mazen) first announced he would hold elections on 24 January 2010, the move was intended to pressure Hamas leaders in Gaza. After it became clear to him that he is not likely to emerge from the general election with a victory in hand, the PA leader last week announced he does not plan to seek an additional term.

This time, the pressure is directed at Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu, whose administration portrays Abu Mazen as a “moderate” and the only “peace partner”, aware of the harsh realities in Gaza, headed by Hamas Prime Minister Ismail Haniyah.

The latest round of events may have been the final blow for Abu Mazen, partially due to the United States exhibiting too much understanding for Israel’s position, the limited ongoing construction in yishuvim, with Abu Mazen demanding a total and unconditional building freeze prior to returning to the negotiating table.

It is not just about a deal, since former Prime Minister Ehud Olmert made generous offers to Abu Mazen, who seems more interested in prolonging the ongoing “peace process”, more so that actually reaching an agreement. Some analysts believe that the PA leader is seeking a limitless continuation of the ongoing process, which to date has bought him time, and he does not seek a true agreement or event a Palestinian state with defined borders.

(Yechiel Spira – YWN Israel)