Fatah accuses Qatar of telling Israel about 2002 weapons ship

Fatah's anger at Qatar for allowing (or encouraging) Al Jazeera to release the "Palestine Papers" is increasing.

Their latest charge is that Qatar was behind Israel's capture of the Karine A weapons ship in 2002.

The Karine A, it will be recalled, was a ship that was purchased by the Palestinian Authority and loaded with weapons they bought from Iran. The cargo included such peaceful, moderate items as Katyusha rockets, anti-tank missiles, anti-tank mines and pure explosives, with a total value of some $15 million. People involved in the shipment were sprinkled through all levels of the Palestinian Authority hierarchy, from Yasir Arafat down to the Palestinian Naval Police.

Fatah leader and member of its Revolutionary Council, Bassam Zakarneh,  told a press conference that Qatar had tipped Israel off about the ship - and this paved the way for the "assassination" of Arafat!

Interestingly, Arafat had denied having anything to do with the Karine A, and Zakarneh's statement seems to confirm that the PA really was behind it and that Arafat was lying.

And while the world is misinterpreting the "Palestine Papers" as to how moderate and flexible the PA is, it is worth remembering that the Karine A episode happened after substantive "peace" negotiations with Israel and proved that the PA's desire for peace was nonexistent.