Abbas refusing to speak to Fayyad

Al Quds al Arabi is reporting that there is a "silent crisis" between PA president Mahmoud Abbas and PA prime minister Salam Fayyad.

Last week, Abbas asked Fayyad to deliver a letter to Binyamin Netanyahu outlining the PLO demands to restart peace talks. Fayyad refused, worried that it would damage his image among the people. He was especially concerned because the letter was to be delivered on Prisoners Day and he did not want to appear to be contacting Israel on such a day.

In general, the job of PA prime minister is only concerned with internal matters anyway, and is not an appropriate position to be used for foreign relations - which is the PLO's domain.

According to one report, Fayyad told Abbas that he was not his "mailman."

In the end, the letter was delivered by Saeb Erekat.

Now, Abbas is refusing to speak with Fayyad. He is not answering his calls. Sources say that Fayyad's refusal "crossed all red lines' and their relationship is now in a "deep crisis."

Fatah leaders, who never liked Fayyad, are also pressuring Abbas to use this as a reason to get rid of him.