Tunisia - The Palestinian Authority banned a demonstration in support of Tunisia

Ramallah, special envoy - The Palestinian Authority has prevented the holding of a rally to support the revolution of Tunisia, to be held Wednesday, Jan. 19, Ramallah, the political capital of the West Bank. The few dozen protesters who defied the ban by the authorities, have encountered when they arrived at the Manara, the main town square, a gathering of activists from the Fatah party of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas .

Organized to defend the cause of Palestinian prisoners in Israel, this event is well-timed to serve as event-cons. The police cordon around the Manara and the presence among the demonstrators many officers moukhabarrat (secret service) left little doubt about the intent of the Palestinian Authority to prevent any expression of solidarity with the revolution of jasmine ".

Just a young Palestinian he started waving a Tunisian flag, a police officer pulled the banner on the grounds that it interfered with the demonstration in honor of prisoners. "It's unbelievable," said Omar Barghouti, one of the leading figures of the Palestinian civil society, who was present on site.

The police are trying to confirm the charge that the Palestinian Authority is on the side of Ben Ali [the former Tunisian president, ousted by the revolution] and she also fears him and the people of the street. Ben Ali is gone, but there are still plenty of Ben Ali to power in the Arab world and the Palestinian Authority does not want to offend them.

"Contacted by The World, Ghassan Khattib, the spokesman of the Palestinian government, called Police ask for clarification on what had happened. The police responded that "such an incident should not happen, and if happened, we deplore. If we receive a complaint, we will investigate '. " The decision to demonstrate in favor of Tunisia had been taken by a handful of young Palestinians, some of whom have been educated in this country.

It was a spontaneous initiative, without any partisan or institutional framework. The governorate of Ramallah, responsible for matters of public policy, had initially given the green light. "But a cons-order was down five minutes later from the Moqata'a, the headquarters of the Palestinian presidency, banning demonstrations and use of the Tunisian flag," said Shawan Jabarin, the director of Al Haq, NGO human rights to which the organizers were looking for advice.

"Contacts in government have confirmed to me that there is a presidential decision to ban all demonstrations outside the framework of Fatah, an organizer ensures that requires anonymity. They were scared that the slightest spark leads an uprising against Israel or that people are demanding accountability from the Palestinian Authority.

"Coincidence or not, the Ramallah regime had meanwhile decided to authorize a demonstration for the prisoners, the same time and same location as the rally for Tunisia. It was a meeting to support the family of an inmate, the victim of poisoning in his cell in Israel. Thus, the demonstrators pro-Tunisia had decided to ignore the ban on Moqata'a saw their voice stifled by the sound of slogans and Fatahwis, come in numbers far greater.

"I do not know if it a deliberate action, "said another organizer, who also requested anonymity and who said he wished to avoid any confrontation with the Palestinian Authority." We do not want to divert attention from the issue of prisoners, which is a higher priority. That is why we agreed to postpone our event.

I do not know if we'll have a license. The Palestinian Authority gives the impression of not wanting to take a position on the Tunisian question. "Following the departure of President Ben Ali, a statement of the PLO (Palestine Liberation Organization) had praised the" courage unprecedented "and" heroic sacrifice "of the Tunisian people.

But the text published by Yasser Abed Rabbo, secretary general of the PLO, had been disavowed by counsel shortly after Mahmoud Abbas, Ahmed Abdel Rahman. "We wish the best for dear Tunisia and offer our condolences to the families of victims and affirm that we will maintain the best relations with Tunisia," said the latter in a very careful development.

After being expelled from Lebanon in 1982 by an Israeli offensive, Yasser Arafat, then leader of the PLO, had found refuge in Tunisia. The direction of the Palestinian movement remained in this country until 1994, when he settled in Gaza. During this period, she had established very good relations with the Tunisian president Habib Bourguiba and his successor, Zine El Abidine Ben Ali, now a refugee in Saudi Arabia.

Benjamin Barthe

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