Ahmed Qurei, known as Abu Ala, has still not accepted the position of prime minister in the Palestinian Authority. Abu Mazen, who resigned from the position two days ago, has said that he will not serve in a government formed by Abu Ala. Arutz-7's Haggai Huberman reports that Abu Ala presented fairly moderate positions when he served as one of the PA's chief negotiators in the early days of the Oslo process, "but has recently expressed much more extremist positions. He is very demanding of Jerusalem, and has said that both the west and east of the city must be up for negotiations. After Wye, he wrote an article in the PA's Hayat al-Jadida that Israel's borders are the Partition Lines of 1947 - which do not include even Be'er Sheva!"
It was also noted that in a rally in July 1997 in Ramallah, Abu Ala demonstratively trampled - in front of television cameras - atop an Israeli flag. Even the Labor Party protested this act, and threatened to cancel a speech by then-MK Ehud Barak if Abu Ala was even invited to a scheduled left-wing demonstration.
Dr. Aaron Lerner of IMRA ("www.imra.org.il") notes that in December 1997, Abu Ala told him that there would be "no compromise for one centimeter of the West Bank including Jerusalem" - and not even on such integral parts of Jerusalem as French Hill or Ramat Eshkol. "Nothing," Abu Ala said, "not settlements or settlers either. [French Hill and Ramat Eshkol are] occupied territory from 1967. [Those who live there] are welcome to apply for citizenship under Palestinian law."
A year later, Abu Ala told a rally of PA Arabs: "The leadership that threw stones is ready to return and use stones to free the people and the land." (quoted in The New York Times, December 3, 1998) The next day, a Palestinian lynch mob attacked an Israeli vehicle near Ramallah, stoning the car and nearly killing its passengers.
In 1999, Abu Ala visited China and demanded the so-called "right of return" as a basic condition for peace: "...Either [we achieve] a just peace that will guaranty the legitimate national rights of the Palestinian people, including [the] Return, self determination, and the establishment of an independent state with Jerusalem as its capital - or there will be no peace, but a return to the struggle in all its forms." (Al-Ayyam, September 24 1999)
Dr. Aaron Lerner of IMRA ("www.imra.org.il") notes that in December 1997, Abu Ala told him that there would be "no compromise for one centimeter of the West Bank including Jerusalem" - and not even on such integral parts of Jerusalem as French Hill or Ramat Eshkol. "Nothing," Abu Ala said, "not settlements or settlers either. [French Hill and Ramat Eshkol are] occupied territory from 1967. [Those who live there] are welcome to apply for citizenship under Palestinian law."
A year later, Abu Ala told a rally of PA Arabs: "The leadership that threw stones is ready to return and use stones to free the people and the land." (quoted in The New York Times, December 3, 1998) The next day, a Palestinian lynch mob attacked an Israeli vehicle near Ramallah, stoning the car and nearly killing its passengers.
In 1999, Abu Ala visited China and demanded the so-called "right of return" as a basic condition for peace: "...Either [we achieve] a just peace that will guaranty the legitimate national rights of the Palestinian people, including [the] Return, self determination, and the establishment of an independent state with Jerusalem as its capital - or there will be no peace, but a return to the struggle in all its forms." (Al-Ayyam, September 24 1999)