More to the point, Gulen is the reclusive and highly autocratic leader of a global media, business, "interfaith dialogue" and education empire said to be worth many billions and that is run from a compound in the Poconos.

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And he added: "The failure of my initiative does not mean the failure of Tunisia or the failure of the revolution, " in a reference to the popular unrest two years ago that ousted autocratic leader Zine al-Abidine Ben Ali.

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He knows that no Palestinian leader, not even one as historic and autocratic as himself, could sign such a deal and escape the wrath of his people.

ECONOMIST: Palestinians and Israel