Jailed Barghouti wants to succeed Arafat as leader

JAILED uprising leader Marwan Barghouti threw Palestinian politics into turmoil last night when he let it be known from his Israeli prison cell that wants to succeed Yasser Arafat.

Mr Barghouti, 45, is challenging interim leader Mahmoud Abbas, 69, a pragmatist who appears to have the tacit support of Israel and the US.

The candidacy sharpens a power struggle in the ruling Fatah movement, pitting the old guard of politicians that had returned with Mr Arafat from exile against the younger generation of activists who led two uprisings in the West Bank and Gaza Strip.

Earlier this week, Mr Abbas was nominated as the presidential candidate of Fatah, mainly with the support of the old guard. The young guard, represented in part by Mr Barghouti, is seeking a greater share of the power.

Mr Barghouti informed his associates yesterday, through his lawyers, that he would run.

One Fatah official, Abdel Rahman Shomali, said he would distribute a statement by Mr Barghouti late yesterday.

The uprising leader, who is serving five life terms for his role in attacks on Israelis, has not explained how he would run Palestinian affairs from prison in the event of victory. However, his supporters have said they are counting on international pressure on Israel to free Mr Barghouti.

Both Mr Abbas and Mr Barghouti support the creation of a Palestinian state in the West Bank, Gaza Strip and east Jerusalem.

While Mr Abbas has spoken out against violence and said the current uprising was a mistake, Mr Barghouti has justified attacks on Israeli soldiers and settlers in the West Bank and Gaza as legitimate resistance to occupation.

Also yesterday, Israeli President Moshe Katsav was quoted as saying that Israel should stop building its West Bank separation barrier if Palestinian militants halt attacks.

And Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon faced a new coalition crisis, with a key partner, the secular- rights Shinui Party, threatening to quit. If Shinui bolts, Mr Sharon could be forced into early elections, which in turn would delay or halt his plan to withdraw from the Gaza Strip and parts of the West Bank in 2005.

The separation barrier and the Gaza withdrawal are part of Mr Sharon’s so-called ‘unilateral disengagement’ from the Palestinians. The barrier - which runs mostly close to Israel, but also dips deeper into the West Bank in some areas - would serve as a temporary frontier until a final peace deal is negotiated.

Mr Sharon put together the plan at a time when Mr Arafat was still alive. He hoped it would allow Israel to seize the initiative, avoid dealing with Mr Arafat and reduce international pressure on Israel.

Mr Katsav said in excerpts of an interview with the Maariv daily that it would be in the interest of Israelis and Palestinians to halt construction of the barrier.

“If the Palestinians end terror, Israel must stop building the separation fence,” said Mr Katsav. Mr Sharon’s aides declined to comment.

More than 1,000 Israelis have been killed in suicide bombings and shootings in over four years of fighting. More than 3,300 Palestinians have been killed in the same period, most in clashes with Israeli troops.

Israel says it needs the barrier, one-third of which has already been built, to keep out Palestinian attackers. The Palestinians have denounced it as a land grab, and note that the divider has disrupted thousands of lives. Earlier this year, the world court said the barrier must be torn down.

In the Gaza Strip, one Palestinian was killed and another injured by Israeli tank fire in a military operation in the Rafah refugee camp. Hamas said the dead man was a member and had been on a holy mission to target Israeli soldiers.

Troops also killed two senior Hamas militants and arrested a third in an operation in the West Bank city of Hebron, the army said.