Report: Western pressure halted Fayyad resignation

The United States and Europe are pushing to tamp down an internal Palestinian power struggle, Palestinian sources say.

Citing unnamed Palestinian sources, the Israeli daily Haaretz reported that a meeting scheduled for Thursday between Palestinian Prime Minister Salam Fayyad and President Mahmoud Abbas was postponed under American pressure. Fayyad was expected resign at the meeting.

The United States and the European Union wish to avoid internal power struggles within the Palestinian Authority at a time when the Americans are attempting to jumpstart peace talks between the Palestinian Authority and Israel, Haaretz reported.

“The Americans view Fayyad as having great impact on the level of donations and financial support of the Palestinian Authority,” a source said.

Over the past few weeks, already tense relations between Fayyad and Abbas have reportedly deteriorated due to major disagreements over government policy in the Palestinian Authority.