On his way back to Washington from Israel, US Mideast envoy George Mitchell made a stopover in Jordan, where he met with PA Chairman Mahmoud Abbas (Abu Mazen), who is desperately seeking to use the international diplomatic community, headed by the United States, to box Israel into a corner.

Abu Mazen has rejected calls for moderation, seeking to portray himself as the champion of PA rights, realizing his popularity is at an all time low and he is unlikely to emerge successful in the upcoming January 2010 January presidential election. The Fatah leader needs a victory if he hopes to boost his popularity among PA residents.

Polls and intelligence community reports in Israel show Hamas continues to extend its influence far and wide, well past Gaza, and the Islamic fundamentalist organization is likely to assume control of PA autonomous areas throughout Yehuda and Shomron as well, at least growing significantly, delivering yet another blow to the weakened Fatah faction of Abu Mazen.

Abu Mazen is unwilling to return to the negotiating table with Israel until such time Jerusalem announces a willingness to comply with demands for a total and unconditional halt to construction, a move which Abu Mazen has set as a precondition to a resumption of talks.

This and other issues are likely to be on the agenda next week in Washington, DC when Defense Minister Ehud Barak arrives to meet with high-ranking administration officials.

(Yechiel Spira – YWN Israel)