Why did Mahmoud Abbas of the Palestinian Authority appoint a successor now? | Israel-Palestine Conflicts News

Mahmoud Abbas, who is the president of the Palestinian Authority (PA), has appointed Rawhi Fattouh to take over if he cannot continue in his position due to poor health.

As Israel continued its war on Gaza — killing more than 44,000 people and maiming and starving countless others — criticism of Abbas and his presidency grew.

Abbas, 89, who also heads the Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO), was elected PA president in 2005, a year after the death of then-leader Yasser Arafat.

So why is he appointing a successor now and how will the succession plan work?

First, what is the Palestinian Authority?

The PA was established as the interim Palestinian government under the Oslo Accords of 1993, which were signed by Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin and Arafat.

The PA was originally conceived to manage basic provisions – such as education, security, water and electricity – for Palestinians living under Israeli occupation in Gaza and parts of the West Bank, including East Jerusalem.

Oslo divided the West Bank into Areas A, B and C, giving the PA security and administrative control in Area A and administrative control in Area B.

But Israel routinely conducts violent raids throughout the West Bank.

Critics say the PA is effectively acting as a security apparatus on behalf of Israel.

Why does PA still exist?

The US-backed Oslo Accords apparently aimed to bring about a Palestinian state in 1999 in Gaza and the West Bank with East Jerusalem as its capital.

However, less than a year after the signing of these agreements, Israel was still building illegal settlements in the West Bank.

Rabin’s assassination by Israel’s far-right nationalists also dimmed any hopes that Israel would cede territory to the PA.

Despite the failure to deliver Palestinian statehood, the PA continued indefinitely under the leadership of Abbas, although his technical term ended in 2009.

Why is Abbas still the president of the PA?

In 2006, the Hamas party, which did not recognize Israel, won the election to lead the PA.

Western donors have suspended funding to force it to recognize Israel, which it refuses to do until Israel recognizes a Palestinian state.

An attempt was made to share power between Hamas and rival Fatah – also led by Abbas – but war broke out and Hamas drove Fatah out of Gaza.

Fatah has since ruled the PA in the West Bank, failing to stop Israeli incursions and losing popularity.

Abbas is avoiding the parliamentary and presidential elections because, analysts say, he fears that Fatah will lose to Hamas and lose his position.

The Palestinians had hoped to vote in May 2021, but Abbas postponed the election, accusing Israel of saying it would not allow voting in East Jerusalem.

He never found someone to follow him? What if he gets sick?

He chose a successor a few days ago.

Rawhi Fattouh is the former speaker of the Palestinian Legislative Council, the current speaker of the Palestinian National Council – the PLO’s legislative body – and a member of the Fatah Central Committee.

If Abbas cannot continue as president, Fattouh takes over as PA president for 90 days until elections. He did that before, in 2004 when Arafat died.

Fattouh is not hungry for power and will be quick to step down once a new person is elected, said Tahani Mustafa, an expert on Palestinian politics for the International Crisis Group.

“Rawhi Fattouh … has no political ambitions,” he said. “He’s the kind of person who’s just going to take out a dress.”

Why did Abbas do this now?

It is reported that, due to pressure from the US and Gulf countries.

In September, Saudi Arabia partnered with several Arab and European countries – it did not specify which ones – to push for a two-state solution to end the Palestinian-Israeli conflict.

Later in September, Riyadh pledged to give the embattled Authority $60m in cash to keep it running.

The ICG’s Mustafa said Saudi Arabia had put up a final installment of $10m when Abbas chose a successor.

The PA was victimized by Israel seizing $188m of tax money it collects on behalf of the PA – an Oslo principle.

Is Abbas still powerful in Palestinian politics?

Yes, he and his circle.

Abbas still leads Fatah, the largest and oldest political party in Palestine and has appointed Mahmoud al-Aloul – the deputy chairman of the central committee – to succeed him.

More importantly, Abbas leads the Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO), which is more powerful than the PA.

The PLO – the umbrella organization of the Palestinian factions ruled by Fatah – fights for the rights of the Palestinian people and makes decisions on their behalf on the world stage.

According to Mustafa, Abbas has confirmed that his confidante Hussein al-Sheikh – the secretary general of the PLO – will replace him as its head.

To do this, Abbas used the PLO executive and loyalists to ensure that they voted for someone from his circle to take power in the event of an election.

“PA is a very undesirable role because … it is a job provider,” Mustafa said. “The real creme de la creme here is the PLO and Fatah.”