Palestinians urgently need a leader who represents them – but they’re facing another undemocratic stitch-up | Dana El Kurd

SAt the beginning of the Israel war on Gaza, a lot was written on how the Palestinians are divided and heated – how they lose their leadership. At the heart of this problem, the Palestinian Authority (PA), which was created in 1994 after signing Oslo agreement. The Palestinian Authority, which helps Israel coordinate its “security” system, which is not very popular in the West Bank, is supported by the United States and its allies. Its leadership, completely frankly, is seen as not accountable by the ordinary Palestinians.

Mahmoud Abbas, President of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) and head of the Palestinian Authority, is about 90 years old. He was rising before him Close The desire to adhere to the framework of Oslo during the second Palestinian intifada. He remains in his position despite the limits of the excessive period and its deep popularity. In fact, this deficiency in popularity Just worse Since October 2023, given that the Palestinians are angry at Abbas’s inability to raise this occasion and resolve the disaster that is revealed in Gaza.

Criticism includes the fact that for many, Abbas did not take seriously the possibility of the unity government between Gaza and the West Bank to address the international community and any negotiations as a unified front – something The Palestinians largely support. Moreover, the role of the Palestinian Authority in Facilitate Israeli action In the West Bank, also painted A great deal of criticism – The Palestinian Authority, which suppresses the opposition of the war that is revealed.

This is the place that concerns institutional details. The Palestinians have repeatedly called on Abbas to assemble the Palestine Liberation Organization and allow the revival of its bodies, which were almost asleep since the establishment of the Palestinian Authority. The Analytical Organization is recognized for international cooperation as a representative of the Palestinian people, and despite the restrictions that come from being a national liberation movement, it has historically combined a wide range of Palestinians and factions and their interests.

Although the Palestine Liberation Organization continued to be on paper after the Oslo agreements, it was allowed to guiltyly not important. For example, the National Council of the Analytical Organization – the main legislative body – is supposed to meet only twice in the past three decades. Moreover, the Palestinian leadership enabled another body, Central Council (CC), with the decision -making authority, specifically “to” “”eclipse“The Legislative Authority. CC expanded steadily, with the appointment of members instead of their election. Abbas also stipulated the main executive body of the Executive Committee, with its supporters.

One of the results of all this policy is that many Palestinian people are outside West Bank Gaza played almost any role in discussing what is happening after that. The Palestinian Authority does not participate in the issue of the Palestinians in the diaspora, in Jerusalem, or those who are citizens in Israel, because they do not actually represent these electoral districts.

This leads us to modern news: Abbas called for the Central Blue Council to hold. It is fair to say that this came as a shock. The idea was not to address the crisis in GazaBut for a single -sided change of PLO regulations outside the regular institutional procedures. Such a move will allow the expansion of the council and the establishment of the new “Vice President” position, which was appointed from a current member of the Executive Committee of the National Blind.

These steps, which were taken without consulting either with other Palestinian political bodies or the approval of the Palestinian people, is widely understood that the creation of the successor of Abbas. In fact, after a closed meeting, the Central Council announced Hussein Al -Sheikh as a new vice president. In other words, the Palestinians are about to experience another non -democratic stitch.

The sheikh is a supporter of Abbas, known in his name A role in the Palestinian security forces; He spent his career in the Palestinian Authority to communicate regularly with the Israeli army running the occupation. This praise of the Israelis (one of the former advisers has earned him He referred to him in Bassem “A very positive player in the Palestinian arena”), but he is a great deal of criticism from the Palestinians. In the latest poll available on this topic, which was conducted by the Palestinian Center for Survey and Policy, Only 2 % The respondents expressed his support for the Sheikh as a possible president.

In response to these irregular changes to the lists of the Palestine Liberation Organization, many factions boycotted the latest meeting of the Central Council. Moreover, organizations such as the Palestinian National Congress Express resentment It seems that the Central Council is only behaving Singing international pressure.

Interestingly, Abbas also mobilized elements of the Palestinian diaspora in this effort. The Central Council meeting was presented last month New members Of the Palestinian Chilean diaspora, both of which are part of a Palestinian organization in Chile, recently created Komonidad, the philosophy of De Chile.

Chilean Palestinian diaspora is The largest Palestinian community outside the Middle EastComunidad was in particular a sound sound of a rich section of the Chilean Palestinian society. However, the current leadership of Communidad is not elected and challenged by other Palestinian groups in the country.

The filling of a conservative segment in the political point of view from the diaspora is another indication of the approach that the Palestinian Authority continues, and its international supporters are still, one: one of the general participation, is through the authority, and ignores the concerns of ordinary people.

What you described is part of a long, familiar pattern of depriving the Palestinian Political Agency. Despite the fact that the suppression of the will of the Palestinian people only worsened the conflict, international powers have refused to change the path. They continue to precede politics about the idea that self -determination should not matter.

Although the most dangerous threats of the Palestinian people come from the Israeli occupation and its international supporters – with Gaza’s “oppression” plans It is now approved by the Council of Ministers in Benjamin Netanyahu – what these events clarify is that the threat also comes from within. It is time for the Palestinian leadership to respond to people.

• Dana Al -Kurd is a researcher in Palestinian and Arab policy and a large colleague who is not residing in the Arab Center in Washington. It is the author of the polarization book and its heating: the authoritarian legacy in Palestine

• This piece participated in its writing with Pablo Abu Doum, a philosopher, translator, and spokesperson for Cooordinadora Por Palestina (Chile)

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