Interim Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas told parliament on Tuesday that he would follow in Yasser Arafat's footsteps and demand that Israel recognize the "right of return" of Palestinian refugees. Abbas spoke a day after a small group of leaders of the ruling Fatah movement chose him as its candidate in Jan. 9 elections for Palestinian Authority president, despite demands by Fatah's young guard that a primary be held. The speech marked the first time since Arafat's death Nov. 11 that Abbas outlined his views on the conflict with Israel. Abbas' ideas about a peace deal with Israel have always been close to those of Arafat: a Palestinian state in the West Bank and Gaza Strip, with east Al-Quds as a capital, and Israeli recognition of the "right of return" of some four million refugees and their descendants. The refugee issue has contributed to the failure of previous peace talks. Israel has said it is willing to repatriate a few thousand refugees as a good-will gesture, but that absorbing millions would destroy the Jewish character of the state. At a memorial ceremony for Arafat at the Palestinian parliament, Abbas said he would walk in the footsteps of the late Palestinian leader. "We promise you (Arafat) that our heart will not rest until we achieve the right of return for our people and end the tragic refugee issue," he said. Fatah rebels, meanwhile, said Tuesday they would challenge the nomination of Abbas as the presidential candidate. Some of the members of the young guard are pushing for Marwan Barghouti, an uprising leader jailed by Israel, as the movement's candidate, arguing that the popular Barghouti has a better chance to win. Barghouti's wife, Fadwa, said her husband would decide early next week whether to run as an independent.
