Teheran-linked rebel forces in Lebanon  undermine Palestinian unity

Ali Ragab

A Palestinian breakaway Sunni group named Ansarullah, which is loyal to the Shi’te Iranian Revolutionary Guards, has stepped up its confrontation to the Palestinian Fatah movement. Security reports also said that using Ansarullah fighters as its claws, the IRGs has managed to expand its strongholds in Lebanon.

Ansarullah was formed by a Palestinian rebel named Jamal Soliman, who confessed in an interview with the Lebanese newspaper Al-Nahar on Oct. 20, 2007 that he received logistic and military support from the IRGs. About 1000 Palestinian fighters abandoned Fatah movement and joined Soliman’s breakaway group.

Soliman, who was appointed the secretary-general of Ansarullah, launched the first military paraded for his 1000 forces in the Palestinian  Ein el-Helwa Camp in Beirut in 2006. In addition to its headquarters in Ein el-Helwah, Ansarullah opened its offices in Bourg el-Baragnah Camp and Miya Miya Camp.

Ansarullah stirred up fresh fears in Lebanon last week after its forces attacked Fatah movement in the Miyah Miyah Camp in Beirut, killing and wounding tens of Palestinian people. Efforts launched jointly by Lebanese and Palestinian political powers failed to broker a ceasefire.

Iran’s expansionist policy in the Arab countries, including Lebanon, was revealed in the 1980s of the last century after the rise of Ayatollahs to power. Due to the presence of the Shi’ite resistance movement of Hezbollah, the IRGs managed to influence a large number of Palestinians, who were seduced into rebelling against Fatah, the mainstream of the Palestinian resistance.

The first signs of cracks opened in the Palestinian ranks—as a result of the influence of the IRGs—were visible during the civil war in Lebanon in 1984 when Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat intervened to support Shi’a Amal movement. Soliman mobilised his forces and joined the Shi’a Hezbollah forces, which fought Arafat’s troops.

Unlike Hezbollah, Amal is a movement formed by Lebanese Shi’a Arabs. Its chairman is Nabih Beri, Speaker of the Lebanese Parliament.

Seeking to deepen the Palestinian divisions, Iran invited Yasser Arafat’s opponents, including Soliman, to take part in a conference in Teheran in December 1990.

Soliman revealed his movement’s alleged 2^nd Leap by forming a Shura council under his chairmanship. Haj Mahmoud Hamad was selected Soliman’s deputy.  Osama Abbas, nicknamed Abu-Ayoub, was responsible for the media; and Maher Ouwid chaired the military bureau.

Palestinian writer and researcher Ra’fat Fahd Murrah revealed Ansarullah’s treacherous role against the Palestinians in Lebanon in his book “Islamic Movement and Forces in the Palestinian Community: Birth, Goals and Achievements”, which was published in Beirut by the Zaytouna Centre for Studies and Consultation.

The Palestinian author  revealed that although his fighters were Sunni, Soliman adopted the Shi’a doctrine. Ansarullah movement, the author noted, is keen to celebrate the Day of Qods, which Khomeini proposed to allegedly renew commitments and pledge to the Muslim holy sites and Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem.

In collaboration with Hezbollah, Soliman had assassinated about 182 of Fatah fighters. Soliman is also accused of assassinating Fatah’s leading members Rasem el-Ghul and Ahmed Rashid. Al-Nahar said that Rashid, together with six brothers were killed in cold blood in Miyah Miyah Camp in April 2014. “Soliman also seized the victims’ property,” the paper said.

The leader of the breakaway group is also said to be the chief suspect in the assassination of Fatah’s trustee Brig. Fathi Zeidan in Miyah Miyah Camp on April 12, 2014.

Lebanese political researcher Makram Rabah said that Iran was trying hard to weaken the Palestinian authority of President Mahmoud Abbas Abu-Mazen to manipulate the Palestinian decision-making.