Note: this is the unedited version, I liked it better.
F288-a FX CROWD 5 secs
The Palestinian people this week celebrated the election of (mr) MAHMOUD ABBAS as the new president of the Palestinian Authority, which many hope is the beginning of a new era in Arab-Israeli relations.
The Palestinians, Israel, and the world pray that this time, peace in the Middle East is possible.
Commentators base this on a feeling that Mr ABBAS is a more moderate figure than his predecessor, (mr) YASSER ARAFAT.
He does not have the military history of his former leader, and has marked himself as different by wearing a suit rather than a military uniform, as worn by Mr ARAFAT.
But during campaigning, Mr ABBAS struck fear into observers who saw some of his rhetoric as similar in tone to that of Mr ARAFAT.
At a rally in JENIN, he was carried through the streets on the shoulders of wanted militants, and in a speech he spoke of Palestinians who had, in his words, been killed by the “Zionist enemy”.
At the time, ISRAEL’s Foreign Minister, (mr) SILVAN SHALOM, expressed concern at Mr ABBAS’ choice of words.
F288-b SHALOM 13 secs
The last statements that were made by Abu Mazen, Mahmoud Abbas … he is now using terms that have not been heard for a very long time.
A senior lecturer in Arab and Islamic Studies at the Australian National University, (mr) Dr MATTHEW GRAY, says such images, which portray the moderate as conspiring with extremists, is simply the everyday situation he has to handle.
F288-c GRAY 26 secs
Abbas was just trying to do what he thought was best to keep *Zubeidi (za-BAY-duh) and his more radical elements happy. But I don’t think in a policy sense that he will necessarily play to them in terms of developing more radical policies. He’s got some work to be getting on with. He’s got some offers from the US to come to Washington. Israel are going to treat him far better than they treated Arafat, so I don’t think will squander that, but he does have to play to it to some extent to survive.
This embrace of both the politics and the militancy within Palestinian society is seen as the main hurdle for the resumption of any peace efforts, and the true test of the leadership of Mr ABBAS over the coming years.
A member of the Palestinian Academic Society in Jerusalem, (mr) MADHI ABDUL HADI, says the main criticisms against Mr ABBAS are that he is not a leader, not a hero, not a symbol and not a fighter.
He has never carried a gun in his life, says Mr ABDUL HADI.
But the Director of the Centre for the Global South in WASHINGTON D-C and former chief representative of the League of Arab States, (mr) Dr CLOVIS (claw-VISS) MAKSOUD, says this will actaully bode well for Mr ABBAS.
He says that the fact that Mr ABBAS cannot be tied-down by any one political or militant group, means that all groups will feel happy to communicate with the new Palestinian leader.
F288-d MAKSOUD 33 secs
Well I would think he would need to engage in consultation with a variety of leaders and representatives of the Palestinian community inside the occupting territories and outside. He does not, as Mr Abdul Hadi has mentioned, command the fact that he can take initiatives on his own. I think that there would be a more collective leadership. But this is a healthy thing. And there will be more institutional accountability than there was under the charismatic leadership of Mr Arafat.
As the number two man in the Palestinian hierarchy after the late Mr ARAFAT, the 69-year-old Mr ABBAS is well liked both at home and abroad.
Popularly known as ABU MAZEN, he became involved with Palestinian underground groups in his 20s and helped found the P-L-O in 1964.
However, Mr ABBAS distanced himself from terror activities, remaining in SYRIA when the P-L-O moved its base to LEBANON in the 1970s.
Mr ABBAS became one of the first top P-L-O officials to recognise ISRAEL, led Palestinian negotiators in peace talks in the 1990s, and was made secretary-general of the P-L-O’s executive committee in 1996.
His longtime support of dialogue has set him apart from many other Palestinian leaders, many of whom chose a different route says Dr MAKSOUD.
F288-e MAKSOUD 28 secs
Mr Abbas has always been more of the politician rather than the leader of the Palestinian community. But with the departure by death or by assassination of some of the historical leaders he became, by default almost, the senior leader of the PLO. And in that respect he does not command the loyalty but he commands the following of Mr Arafat.
He has also been a strong supporter of the American-backed MIDDLE EAST peace plan, known as the roadmap, as he made clear after a 2003 meeting with Mr BUSH.
F288-f ABBAS 17 secs
We remain committed to the roadmap and we are implementing our security and reform obligations. Security for all Palestinians and Israelis is an essential element in progress, and we will achieve security based on the rule of law.
And in the past, Mr ABBAS has called for an end to violence against ISRAEL and the militarisation of the Palestinian uprising.
While many hope Mr ABBAS will breathe new life into peace plans, few can picture how this will be achieved until the new leader establishes his credentials with the various Palestinian factions.
Dr GRAY says the new Palestinian leader is well known for his outspoken attitude in the use of violence, being on the record as being against the current intifadah.
F288-g GRAY 26 secs
He genuinely wants to stop the violence, because he has said this on a couple of occasions that the current intifadah was a strategic error to get involved especially in violence that targets Israeli citizens. But what this means is that before Abbas can get to any negiotations with Israel, the first step is to negotiate with Hamas, with the Al Aqsa Martyrs’ Brigade and others , to try and get this elusive ceasefire in place so he can then start work on the more serious talks which are the ones with Israel.
Dr MAKSOUD says that while he and his predecessor’s styles are remarkably different, and their relationships with the various factions differ, their aims fundamentally remain the same.
F288-h MAKSOUD 29 secs
There has never been a perception by Mr Abbas himself of being an alternative to Mr Arafat. He has always been considered loyal, but might have had different styles. And in that sense I think it has been inevitable that being the senior Fatah in the Palastinian occupied authorities, that he would be the logical candidate of Fatah. But he doesn’t have the level of independence from his base that Mr Arafat had.
The general feeling that Mr ABBAS is a true moderate, as compared to the antagonistic reign of YASSAR ARAFAT, is a misconception, says Dr MAKSOUD.
He says there has never been any doubt that Mr ABBAS will waver from the fundamental aims of the Palestinian people.
F288-i MAKSOUD 33 secs
At one time Mr Arafat was considered moderate by the Israelis. Mr Abbas, I think would be more flexible in style. Yet, on the other hand, if he insists on the basic commitments of the Palestinian people and especially of Fatah … total evacuation of Israel from the occupied territories, albeit in stages … East Jerusalem as the capital … and the right of return to be negotiated — I don’t think he can waver from that because there will be political rebellion against him from within his own ranks.
