Arabic news sites are buzzing today over a report from a UAE paper that Mahmoud Abbas has decided that he will not return to Ramallah following his European trip, which currently has in him Russia, and will instead rule from abroad.
According to the report, the source is an Israeli MK (Member of Knesset). Rumors are swirling that Ahmad Tibi is the MK.
According to the source, Abbas is not returning to Ramallah because he fears that he will face the same fate as Yasir Arafat.
The report seems very skeptical, and has been around for at least a couple of days already.
Nimer Hammad, one of Abbas’ advisers, has denied it saying that “the news about Abbas leaving Palestine due to fear of being targeted by Israel, as happened to Arafat, is not true at all.”
Abbas has been in Russia since Thursday and is scheduled to be there for six days. I guess we will find out whether the report is true after his trip.
Hey,
Now the PA is saying the rumor was planted by Israel! Yet it was started in a Gulf newspaper feeding conspiracy theories to an audience used to conspiracy theories…
Because one of their favorite conspiracy theories is, after all, that Israel assassinated Arafat.
Yes, Hammad said that in his statement. In truth, it seems to me that when they were referencing Arafat they were actually talking about being under siege in Ramallah, rather than being killed.
There’s nothing left to steal.
Maybe he went to Europe to hook up with his bank accounts.
Funny, but he went to Europe to gain support for his upcoming assault on Israel in the international arena. See this and this.