The Goldstone Report on the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza has led to political turmoil in the Palestinian Authority. On Sunday, PA Chairman Mahmoud Abbas reversed his earlier policy on the Goldstone Report and called for an immediate meeting of the UNHRC “to vote on the resolution, in order to punish all those who committed the most brutal crimes against our children and women in Gaza.” PA officials said their current goal is to call a UNHCR meeting before the end of the week. Abbas came under harsh criticism earlier this month for asking to postpone a United Nations session on the matter and agreeing to defer a UN Human Rights Council vote on the report until March 2010. This decision was met with criticism from Hamas and other rival terrorist groups, as well as from within his own Fatah faction. Former Fatah delegate to Egypt Nabil Amr, who criticized Abbas, later accused the PA chairman of seeking to harm him by canceling his security detail. Abbas was also castigated by the wider Arab world. Some Arab journalists and bloggers went so far as to accuse Abbas of playing an active role in the Israeli counterterror operation in Gaza, and of encouraging Israeli leaders to keep up the offensive. Hamas Blames PA The Gaza heads of Hamas indicated this week that Abbas's decision would mean a delay to a planned Fatah-Hamas reconciliation mediated by Egypt, and some went so far as to say that they no longer consider Abbas a Palestinian. Hamas is unable to reconcile with Fatah at the present time due to an “atmosphere of outrage and anger,” senior Hamas terrorist Ismail Radwan told the Bethlehem-based Maan news . On Sunday, Hamas held a mock trial in the Gaza town of Rafiah in which Abbas was sentenced to life in prison. The “court,” run by Gaza schoolchildren, found Abbas guilty of traitorous activity and “acting against the supreme Palestinian interest.” In an earlier demonstration, Gaza residents threw shoes at a poster of the Fatah leader. PA Blames Hamas Leaders in the Fatah-led PA, for their part, have accused Hamas of standing behind the original decision to delay a meeting on the report, only to criticize Abbas once the choice was made. Hamas had initially criticized the Goldstone Report for its conclusion that Hamas had committed war crimes. Qatar Under Suspicion As tensions mount, some PA officials have looked abroad to place blame. On Saturday, senior PA official Bassem Khoury accused Qatar of playing a role in the deferral of the UN decision, due to its own ties with Israel. Qatar is the only Gulf Arab state to maintain ties with Israel. Qatari media outlets have criticized the PA for deferring the Goldstone report.
