SUPPORTING PRO-FATAH NGO'S IN NORTH RAMALLAH

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 JERUSALEM 001105

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

NEA FOR FRONT OFFICE, NSC FOR ABRAMS/WATERS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/06/2017
TAGS: PREL PGOV KWBG KPAL KDEM IS
SUBJECT: SUPPORTING PRO-FATAH NGO'S IN NORTH RAMALLAH

REF: 2006 JERUSALEM 4172

Classified By: Consul General Jake Walles, per reasons 1.4 (b) and (d).


1. (C) SUMMARY: In a June 6 meeting with PolChief and
USAID/OTI Deputy Country Representative, Yousef Barakeh, the
Fatah Secretary General in Jalazoun refugee camp and a member
of the North Ramallah Fatah Committee outlined his efforts to
strengthen Fatah in this politically competitive region that
elected two Hamas PLC members. In coordination with the
ConGen and USAID/OTI, Barakeh is attempting to create and
strengthen a network of pro-Fatah NGOs. His activities seek
to build the NGOs, credibility and increase their ability to
respond to diverse constituencies by delivering services
equal to or exceeding those currently provided by local Hamas
organizations. END SUMMARY.

BARAKEH AS AN EMERGING FATAH LEADER
--------------


2. (C) Yousef Barakeh is a member of the North Ramallah
Field Committee and was elected as the Fatah Secretary
General for Jalazoun refugee camp in February 2007. ConGen
and USAID/OTI staff have been coordinating with Barakeh to
assess and determine how NGOs can respond to community needs
in Jalazoun camp and the surrounding areas, which span two
electoral districts. In a June 6 Ramallah meeting, Barakeh
stressed the importance of "door-to-door grassroots outreach"
and the need for Fatah to communicate with people "inside
their homes." He noted that Hamas has used this approach
effectively. The best way to do this, he said, is through a
network of pro-Fatah NGOs with a common vision of grassroots
reform who can effectively deliver services to a variety of
constituencies. Barakeh has worked closely with the ConGen
and USAID/OTI to identify and assemble under his leadership
nine local NGOs that support different sectors such as women,
children, youth, elders, and physically disabled citizens,
and one organization which preserves Palestinian cultural
heritage. Barakeh and USAID/OTI teams have conducted
individual assessments with each NGO to determine how to best
to increase their capacity to provide services and amplify
their efforts. USAID/OTI is reviewing proposals for
approximately USD 150,000 of in-kind assistance through its
small grants mechanism. Assistance would vary by
organization, but could include furnishings, computers,
administrative equipment, youth sporting equipment, scouts
uniforms, and other items. The NGO,s are currently being
vetted, a process which is expected to take six to eight
weeks.

FOCUS ON WOMEN VOTERS
--------------


3. (C) Barakeh urged assistance to the Jalazoun Women's
Program Center (WPC) in order to help redress Fatah,s poor
outreach to women. He said WPC,s primary goal is to empower
women to play a more prominent role in their community by
providing a venue where they can gather, discuss issues of
interest, and receive training. To ensure Fatah control over
the center's management, Barakeh established a Fatah field
office on the building's first floor and "reshuffled" WPC
staff to replace two Hamas-affiliated volunteers with a Fatah
woman loyalist. Barakeh is seeking to increase vocational
training opportunities and enhance the facilities to meet the
growing demand of nearly 15 thousand camp residents. (Note:
Per REFTEL, WPC,s health/athletic center was established in
2005 through a USD 10,000 PRM grant under the Ambassador's
Fund for Refugees.)

STRENGTHENING FATAH'S APPEAL
--------------


4. (C) Barakeh described the North Ramallah region, with
Jalazoun camp as its political center, as an area where Hamas
and Fatah vie for the same constituencies. He said Hamas has
senior leadership in Jalazoun who target camp residents and
the surrounding towns and villages. Both local PLC members
are Hamas. (Note: Saleh Mubarak, from Jalzoun Camp, and
Fadel Hamdan, from nearby Doura village, are currently in
Israeli jails but have significant followings in the area.)
Empowering a new pro-Fatah NGO network to deliver essential
services would attract the attention of constituents,
including those who voted for Hamas in 2006, Barakeh said.
He questioned the utility of formal declarations of party
membership, saying many local residents who claimed to be
Fatah members in order to reap Fatah benefits, had voted for
Hamas when Fatah failed to deliver. He said Hamas support in
the area is declining, however, due to a lack of service
delivery, visible Hamas internal divisions, and general
economic decline. Asked how his efforts might connect with

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the work of the newly-formed Fatah Field Committees, Barakeh
said he will work with anyone from Fatah who will support his
grassroots efforts. Barakeh said his main objective is to
see Fatah united, since he believes disunity was the main
cause of its previous defeat.
WALLES