In rare statement, exiled Fatah chief Dahlan hopes Erekat recovers

Exiled Fatah security chief Mohammad Dahlan issued a rare statement in support of senior Palestinian Liberation Organization official Saeb Erekat, who is currently in critical condition with coronavirus complications.

“I shared a long friendship with Dr. Saeb Erekat. We broke bread together. Fatah brought us together. In this charged times, as Saeb fights for his life, I pray for him, I hope for him to be cured and a safe return to his family. The journey continues,” Dahlan said.

Dahlan, who lives in Abu Dhabi, is a bitter rival of Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas. He has lived in the UAE since 2011, when he was expelled from the West Bank. Officials in Ramallah publicly accused of him of bearing some blame for the UAE’s decision to normalize ties with Israel in mid-August.

— Aaron Boxerman