Abbas rival Dahlan says he won't run for president

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas’s top Palestinian rival and often-mentioned possible candidate to succeed him said Sunday he will not run for president in future elections for the Palestinians.

Mohammad Dahlan said he supports his “brother” Marwan Barghouti, not because of “the current crisis” but because according to opinion polls, Barghouti, who is currently in Israeli jail for multiple murder convictions, is the preferred choice of the Palestinian people.

The former Gaza strongman said he is willing to reconcile with Abbas, but asked for “the magic recipe” that could make it happen.

Anyone who thinks Fatah isn’t being run “like a private company,” he said, “is either disingenuous or deluded.”

— Dov Lieber