Arsonists on Friday torched a car in Hebron belonging to Sheikh Tayseer Tamimi,
who recently formed a new political party and announced his intention to run in
the next Palestinian Authority presidential election.
No one claimed
responsibility for the torching of the car, which was completely
destroyed.
Tamimi, the former chief judge of Islamic religious courts in
the West Bank, surprised Palestinians earlier this month when he announced the
establishment of a party called Party of Freedom and
Independence.
Tamimi, who was previously affiliated with Hamas, is
considered a radical Palestinian figure.
“I don’t rule out running for
the president of the State of Palestine,” Tamimi told reporters at the launching
of his party.”
He said that his party believes in the need to liberate
all Palestine, from the river to the sea. He also stressed the importance of the
right of return for Palestinian refugees to their former homes inside
Israel.
Tamimi later complained that representatives of various
Palestinian factions who were invited to the inauguration of his party did not
show up because they had been threatened by PA security forces.
A source
close to Tamimi said that the PA leadership was unhappy with his decision to
form a new party and run for president.
The source said that no group has
claimed responsibility for the torching of Tamimi’s car.
However, the
source added, “Whoever committed this crime wanted to stop the sheikh from
running in the election.”
Tamimi said over the weekend that the torching
of his car was an attempt on his life. He pointed out that the vehicle was
parked near some gas balloons connected to his kitchen and that the perpetrators
were hoping the fire would lead to an explosion in the house.