(by Aldo Baquis) (ANSAmed) - TEL AVIV - On the day following the dramatic speech delivered by Mahmoud Abbas (Abu Mazen) in which he gave notice that he would not be standing for a second term as head of the PNA, Israeli and Palestinian leaders have been taking stock of the new scenario. With feelings cooled down somewhat, it appears clear that Abbas does not intend to leave the helm of Palestinian politics before presidential and general elections have been held in the Palestinian Territories. Yesterday, Mahmoud Abbas, 74, pointed out that they would have to take place in the West Bank, in Gaza (where Hamas are in absolute political and military control) and in eastern Jerusalem, despite the dogged Israeli resistance. Scheduled for January 24 2010, the elections now risk being postponed until June at the earliest. Even after the elections, Mahmoud Abbas' intention is to remain at the top of the PLO and of al Fatah. He would thus seek to guarantee continuity for the realisation of his political project: the creation of an independent Palestinian state on good relations with Israel. ''It is an objective,'' he said yesterday, ''which can still be attained''. The main significance of his speech, wrote eastern Jerusalem's al Quds newspaper today, lies in the fact that Abbas has energetically sounded an ''alarm bell'' to warn leaders in Israel, in the United States and across the Arab world that the stalemate in the peace process is causing the level of frustration among the Palestinian population to reach dangerous levels. The Fatah leadership has already rebuffed Abbas' decision not to stand for election. Hundreds of party activists were on the streets in Ramallah, Tulkarem and in Jericho today to re-avow their loyalty in the leader. From Gaza, Hamas is maintaining that Abbas admitted yesterday that the peace process is at a dead end. But in Ramallah, this interpretation was scornfully rejected. As was inevitable, the press has already started its tipping of a potential new leader - a possible successor to Mahmoud Abbas could lead Fatah to victory in the upcoming elections. None of the names today appear however, to have the requirements to fit the bill: Marwan Barghuti, an al Fatah leader with a considerable following in the West Bank, is serving a life sentence in Israel: Deputy Foreign Minister Dany Ayalon today ruled out any talk of a pardon, even if he is elected. Others of his generation, Jibril Rajub and Mohammed Dahlan, former home defence commanders in the West Bank and Gaza, have indeed been mentioned as candidates, along with 70-year-olds Nabil Shaath and Abu Maher Ghneim. Another name in the running is that of Nasser Qidwa, former PLO ambassador at the UN and nephew of Yasser Arafat. Premier Salam Fayad, who can boast of concrete achievements over recent years, has not ever been an al-Fatah member and is seen as a foreign body in the organisation. Meanwhile Israel is taking a cautious stance: ''We do not want to interfere in internal Palestinian affairs'' said Ayalon. But between the lines one reads concern at the possibility that, in persuading Abbas to reconsider his decision, the United States might pay ''a political price'' to Israel's detriment. This is just one more worry for premier Benyamin Netanyahu, who is about to depart for the United States to take part in an event organised by the country's Jewish community, and who is still in the dark as to whether he will be received by President Barack Obama, with whom his relationship is somewhat strained.(ANSAmed).