t's commitment to his political line, was not agreed upon, and he alone is responsible for his words. Al-Monitor: How important is the emergence of Mohammed Dahlan as a political actor in the Gaza Strip once again? And what about his public dispute with Abbas concerning the reconciliation decision? Abu Marzou

Abbas continues to face an internal political battle, as he struggles to save face among the Palestinian public and fight off Fatah political rival Mohammed Dahlan, who is a Gaza native and Abbas's ex-security chief. Whether or not negotiators are able to agree to overcome this most recent impasse, with little

hestrating a comeback that could position him as a potential successor to aging Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas. In a phone interview from London, Mohammed Dahlan spoke of his aid projects in the Gaza Strip, his closeness to Egypt's military leaders and his conviction that the 79-year-old Abbas has left the P

of renewal. At its sixth party congress in 2009, the most influential movers included party strongman and former PA Gaza Preventive Security Chief Mohammed Dahlan, long considered Abbas's likeliest successor. Since fall 2010, however, Abbas has cut his erstwhile lieutenant down to size, and on May 13 he forma