Arafat Copycat at Gaza Border Rebukes PA President Abbas for Withholding Salaries of Gaza Employees: You Are the Father of the Palestinian People – Scenes from Gaza “Return March”

A man dressed as Yasser Arafat showed up among the protesters at the Gaza border and rebuked Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas for withholding the payment of salaries for Gaza employees. "Arafat" told the cheering crowd that he supported Palestinian unity and opposed "any measure that might hinder resistance of any kind." "You are the father of the Palestinian people," he told Abbas, "and you must be responsible for everything on Palestinian land." The video was posted on the Facebook page of the Palestinian Information Center on June 8.

"Yasser Arafat": "I oppose [the PA's] stopping the payments of salaries [to Gaza employees]. I oppose any measure that might hinder resistance of any kind, and first and foremost, any measure that might hinder the peaceful resistance. We should show the world that our people love life, seek freedom, hate restrictions, and hate the occupation. Our people seek their freedom like any people in the world."

Man 1: "Oh mountain, the wind will never shake you!"

Crowd: "Oh mountain, the wind will never shake you!"

Man 1: "Oh mountain, the wind will never shake you!"

Crowd: "Oh mountain, the wind will never shake you!"

[...]

"Yasser Arafat": "I support Palestinian unity. Abu Mazen [Abbas] must implement his decisions from the National Council. He must implement his decision from the National Council not to withhold anybody's salary, under any circumstances. I support unity. When I was under siege, and on my deathbed in France, I said to them: 'You wasted the money of the refugees, the martyrs, and the prisoners...'"

Man 2: "Say: 'Allah Akbar!'"

Crowd: "Allah Akbar!"

"Yasser Arafat": Therefore, I say to Abu Mazen: You are the father of the Palestinian people, and you must be responsible for everything on Palestinian land. You must unconditionally implement Palestinian unity."