Hamas, the party that troubled you, and was once fighting the Israelis, is now killing fellow Palestinians. There is civil war in Gaza and it is heading for the West Bank. These are not the same Palestinians who you constantly described as: "the superman people".

Thirty Palestinians have been killed in inter-Palestinian fighting, and 130 have been wounded.

You were besieged at your compound in Ramallah from 2001 until 2004, and not a single Arab or Western leader objected, or lifted a finger to help you.

An Israeli soldier named Gilad Shalit has been kidnapped by the Palestinians since June 2006 and the entire world Arab leaderships included is calling for his release.

Saddam Hussain, the man whom you defended and supported in 1991, is now dead. The last words he heard were "go to hell" by Shiite onlookers who danced around his corpse.

Hamas won the elections of 2006 but due to a US-backed international boycott, has been unable to deliver food or salaries to the Palestinians.

I still remember how in the midst of your final hours, on November 1, 2004, you gave instructions from your deathbed in Paris to the ministry of finance in Ramallah to pay wages on time to the Palestinians.

That was a priority for you but Hamas does not share in your pragmatism or dedication to the Palestinians. Had they softened their tone towards Israel, the way you did when the time was not right to speak revolution and accepted Oslo, then none of this would have happened.

True, they might be dedicated to the liberation of Palestine, but what worth is a liberated Palestine with no Palestinians?

The livelihood of the Palestinian citizens should have been a priority on the agenda of Hamas, rather than warfare with Israel.

Because of their terrible conditions, the Palestinians have been restless for the past few months, demanding either a cabinet change or a change of policy by Hamas. Both have been refused by the Hamas-led government.

Voted into power

The Islamic resistance after all did not win the elections of 2006 because they promised to eradicate Israel. They were voted into power because they promised to bring security, fight corruption and improve the lives of the Palestinians. None of these promises have been achieved.

Equally unwise to Hamas, Mr President, were the leaders of your very own Fatah. This month they celebrate 42 years of the "war of liberation" that you started on January 1, 1965.

At a massive rally in Gaza, your former protégé Mohammad Al Dahlan accused Hamas leaders of being murderers. He was responding to chants from the masses: "Shiite! Shiite! Shiite!" in reference to Hamas's ties with Iran. Dahlan said, "They are not Shiites. They are murderers."

Rather than act as godfather to the Palestinians all the Palestinians Abbas has even taken sides, claiming that Hamas's militias is illegal.

When members of Fatah asked Abbas to dismiss Dahlan on charges of instigating internal violence, the Palestinian president refused. Dahlan's words are not bravado Mr President, nor are they statesmanship. They are pure political suicide.

Is this the Palestine you wanted Mr President?

Only solution

The only solution is for all of them to collectively resign. They have failed to lead post-Arafat Palestine.

Abbas should either live up to his duties as president and call for early elections or leave office to someone who is more competent.

By all accounts, his prime minister Esmail Haniya should go. Another solution to the present confrontation would be to give Hamas the benefit of the doubt, to give them what had Israel allowed Hamas to take over government, with its full responsibilities, this would have been a win-win scenario for everyone.

Everyone, that is, except for Fatah. The Palestinians would have been ruled by the leaders for whom they voted.

Hamas would have been firmly in control of government and Israel would have tamed one of its deadliest enemies. By letting it share power, treating it as a partner, showing it respect and giving it real duties, Israel could have forced Hamas to share responsibility. Hamas would have been unable to continue its war on Israel.

Sad is the situation in Palestine, Mr President. It would have been better if finer leaders were around, such as Farouk Al Qaddumi, who remains in Tunis and is at odds end with Abu Mazen, or Marwan Al Barghouti, who remains in an Israeli jail. Sadly for all their sacrifices, the Palestinians got nothing better than Mahmoud Abbas, Mohammad Al Dahlan and Esmail Haniya. Rest in peace Abu Ammar. It's good that you are not alive to see the circus in Palestine.