Recrimination mars Fatah's healing, Israel dismayed

JERUSALEM, Aug. 13 (Xinhua) -- As Palestinians, Israelis and the international community try to understand the effects of this week's Fatah congress, three key messages are emerging.

The Palestinian movement is trying to please too many people at the same time, serious rifts remain within the party, and Israel is very concerned by the resolutions carried by its delegates.

On the Palestinian political front, Fatah's main rival Hamas movement was closely watching the week-long congress, which was originally slated for three days but later prolonged because of arguments over voting rights.

Actually, Hamas was a key factor behind the rows. The Gaza Strip-based Islamic movement banned some 400 Fatah delegates in the coastal enclave to travel to the West Bank city of Bethlehem to attend the conference.

Fatah has not held a congress for 20 years because of internal divisions and the political considerations of former Fatah and Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat.

However, faced with a possible national elections in January and a very real possibility that Hamas would claim victory, Fatah decided the time was nigh for a show of solidarity.

Analysts in both the Palestinian and Israeli camps think that Fatah's talks of negotiations and resistance are a simultaneous attempt to win friends both in the international community and on the Palestinian streets.

Engaging in tough talking towards Israel is popular among Palestinians, and Fatah hopes it will win the hearts of voters and make them think twice before voting for Hamas.