Fatah central committee unanimously rejected Palestinian prime minister Mahmud Abbas's resignation Tuesday over his handling of policies toward Israel, a senior Fatah official and committee member said, according to AFP.
The official added that Abbas submitted his resignation in a letter to Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat.
In a separate letter to the central committee, the prime minister challenged the organization to outline a different policy toward the Israeli government and said he was ready to step down if his own line was at fault.
Meanwhile, the Bush administration has expressed support for Abbas.
"We stand behind Prime Minister Abbas," said State Department spokesman Philip T. Reeker. He added that Abbas' leadership has produced important changes beneficial to the
Palestinians.
"We think it's important to keep acting and act now to reinforce the positive progress and signal our support," Reeker said. (Albawaba.com)
© 2003 Al Bawaba (www.albawaba.com)
