The West Bank Will Become a Target for al-Qaeda Activity

by Dr. Abdul-Sattar Kassem

Al-Qaeda — whose strength in Gaza Mr. Mahmoud Abbas tried to frighten the world with, according to his own words — is something he himself ought to fear now, because he is working diligently and persistently to create the conditions suited to its activity in the West Bank. Mr. Abbas may notice that al-Qaeda’s activity intensifies and concentrates in states with strong ties to the United States and Israel, and in states whose political orientation is strongly opposed to the Islamic idea. He may also notice that its activity eases, or falls into something like dormancy, in states that adopt a policy of resistance (mumana’a) in the face of Zionist-American policies, or that are at least reserved toward these policies and unwilling to fall into step with them.

…from the Gaza Strip.

Mr. Abbas is taking political steps that are unbalanced and ill-considered, and he is truly gambling a great deal by bringing the Israelis into the picture with this kind of boldness and exposure, and by opening the field wide for the Americans to tamper with the country however they please. It is as though Abbas has decided to blow up every bridge, and has decided to commit the West Bank irrevocably to being part of an axis that cannot possibly contribute to restoring Palestinian rights. This, specifically, creates a climate of provocation, and destroys the policy of restraint that al-Qaeda has followed, up to now, in the territory occupied in ‘67.

The Palestinian people have no need for more conflicts manufactured by politicians who gamble with the people for the sake of factional, partisan, or personal interests. The people of Palestine need someone who will put his head between his hands to think calmly and deliberately, so that, perhaps, their suffering might ease.

What do the Americans have to lose? The Americans are interested in sowing the seeds of corruption and strife across the region, in kindling fires between Sunnis and Shiites, between Lebanese and Syrians, between Iran and the Arabs, between Fatah and Hamas, and between brothers, cousins, and spouses. This costs them no more than a few million dollars, while it costs us blood, ruined homes, hatred, enmity, and dark days.

Source: Translated from the original Arabic, “الضفة ستصبح هدفا لنشاط القاعدة” by Dr. Abdul-Sattar Kassem.