When Israel launches an investigation into the failings of the Second Lebanon War, the investigation actually, well, investigates. When the Palestinians launch an investigation into the debacle that was the Gaza war with Hamas, they launch a kangaroo court.
“A week prior to the outbreak of the fighting with Hamas,” says Samir Masharawi, a Fatah leader from the Gaza Strip, “Abu Mazen [Abbas] called a meeting of the central committee of Fatah the leadership of the organizations. He asked seven of them to travel to the Gaza Strip and lead the organization, in view of the deterioration of Mohammed Dahlan, who was undergoing medical treatment, and due to the fact that Abu Mazen was busy with other issues. He gave them all the authority and explained, ‘You are authorized to do whatever you consider necessary to bolster Fatah. You claim that Dahlan is the problem. Now Dahlan is not there, take care of the problem.'”
Masharawi adds that, “Two of the committee members, Tayeb Abd al-Rahim and Ruhi Fatah (Abu Mazen’s adviser) agreed to travel to Gaza immediately. The other five found all sorts of excuses not to do so. In the end, none of the seven came to Gaza. How is it that a committee investigating the failure of Fatah and of the security organizations in the confrontation with Hamas, did not find them responsible? Where is the responsibility of the political leadership?”
“Does your Winograd Committee blame only the army officers or also the politicians? Like you [Israelis] say: ‘Blame the guard at the gate.’ Those really responsible have to surface,” the Fatah leader said.
Yeah, this is why I’m not too enthusiastic about the so-called “new” Fatah under Mahmoud Abbas. Until we see new leadership that isn’t made up of terrorists and terror-supporters, nothing will change. Here’s a question: Have the Palestinians stopped the incitement in their Friday sermons yet? Have they ordered new textbooks for the upcoming school year that actually show Israel on the map?
When both those questions can be answered in the affirmative, I will believe that change is coming.