PA President Mahmoud Abbas is reportedly seeking to form a unity government with Hamas to counter Trump’s peace plan.

By: World Israel News Staff 

Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas is seeking to form a new unity government that incorporates all Palestinian factions, including Hamas, according to Asharq Al-Awsat, an international Arabic-language newspaper based in London.

Palestinian sources told Asharq Al-Awsat that unity would be the best remedy against purported attempts by the US, under the aegis of the Trump administration’s peace initiative, to drive a wedge between Hamas and the PA or separate the Gaza Strip from the Palestinian government based in Ramallah.

As Asharq Al-Awsat put it: “The move was aimed at hampering any attempts to separate the Gaza Strip from the West Bank under what is known as the US ‘deal of the century.'”

The purpose of the new unity government is also to prepare for general elections, which have not taken place since 2006.

Numerous attempts to form a unity government between Hamas and Fatah, the largest and most influential faction in the Palestinian Liberation Organization, have failed, not due to outside interference, but rather out of the failure of the two sides to reconcile their differences or to cede power.

In 2015, Abbas dissolved the last unity government after it had utterly failed to function.

Abbas has also accused Hamas of trying to assassinate PA Prime Minister Rami Hamdallah.

Abbas is looking at the possibility of designating former Prime Minister Salam Fayyad chair of the new government.

The sources added that the president met with Fayyad a few days ago for two hours to discuss the matter. Fayyad agreed, provided he is given substantial powers.

According to the sources, Fayyad told Abbas that he would not be a part of the unity government unless he was given significant powers. Fayyad has served in the past as prime minister of the PA.

Hamas has voiced its opposition in the past to appointing Fayyad. In 2011, for instance, during one of the many attempts to create a unity government between Fatah and Hamas, the terrorist organization that rules Gaza rejected Fayyad with the claim that under his rule, the PA fell into debt.

Fayyad is seen as a reformer who succeeded in eradicating endemic corruption

Abbas’ meeting with Fayyad a few days ago ended a rupture of years.

Fayyad’s return needs the approval of both the Fatah central committee and Hamas. The sources said that neither would prevent Fayyad’s return as part of a comprehensive agreement.

Abbas hopes Fayyad will help in efforts to end the rift.

Asharq Al-Awsat asked those close to Fayyad about the possibility of his return as prime minister. A familiar source said it depended on a new vision of restoring national unity.

“Fayyad has a roadmap,” the source said.

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The Trump administration will prevent any Palestinians from serving in UN positions until the US recognizes an independent Palestinian state, Haley stated.

US Ambassador to the United Nation (UN) Nikki Haley on Tuesday told Congress that the Trump administration’s policy was to prevent any Palestinians from serving in UN positions, unless and until the US recognizes an independent Palestinian state.

“If we don’t recognize Palestine as a state, we needed to acknowledge, also, that we could not sit there and put a Palestinian forward until the US changed its determinations on that front,” Haley told a House Foreign Affairs Committee hearing.

In February, the US blocked the appointment of former Palestinian prime minister Salam Fayyad to lead the UN’s political mission in Libya. Though the post was unrelated to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, the US described the move as an act of support for Israel.

On Wednesday, responding to a reporter’s comment that such a decision was “discriminatory,” the State Department stood by Haley’s remarks, tying the move to block Fayyad’s appointment to US concerns about “Palestinians’ efforts to achieve recognition of Palestine as an independent state through the United Nations system.”

“[Haley] believes that the United Nations and many believe that the United Nations needs to be reformed, that for far too long the United Nations has been unfairly biased in favor of the Palestinian Authority to the detriment of our allies in Israel. I know that’s a concern of hers. She’s talked about that a lot. She’s talked about reforming the United Nations,” explained Spokesperson Heather Nauert.

“This situation is unique and should be viewed through the lens of the broader Israeli-Palestinian conflict,” said Edgar Vasquez, a spokesman for the State Department’s Bureau of Near Eastern Affairs.

At the time, Israel’s Ambassador to the UN Danny Danon praised Haley for blocking Fayyad’s appointment, referring to it as a demonstration of standing alongside Israel in the UN.

“This is the beginning of a new era at the UN,” said Danon. “The new Administration proved once again that it stands firmly alongside the State of Israel in the international arena and in the UN in particular.”

By: World Israel News Staff and AP

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The UN secretary-general disagreed that the appointment of a Palestinian as UN envoy to Libya would lead to bias against Israel, saying he regrets the US opposition. 

United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres, during his address on Monday to the World Government Summit in Dubai, defended his nomination of former Palestinian Authority Prime Minister Salam Fayyad as UN envoy to Libya.

“(Fayyad) has qualities that are recognized everywhere,” Guterres said, in response to a question regarding the Trump administration’s decision to veto Fayyad’s appointment. “He has a competence that nobody denies, and Libya requires the kind of capacity that he has, and I think it’s a loss for the Libyan peace process and for the Libyan people that I am not able to appoint him.”

US ambassador to the UN Nikki Haley defended the decision to veto Fayyad’s nomination, saying it was done in order to prevent further bias against Israel at the UN.

“For too long the UN has been unfairly biased in favor of the Palestinian Authority to the detriment of our allies in Israel,” Haley stated.

Guterres rejected such concerns, saying, “People in the UN have just one area of loyalty they need to respect – it’s the UN Charter, and so I deeply regret this opposition and I do not see any valid reason for it.”

Nevertheless, the UN chief stressed the importance of impartiality at the UN, including with regards to Israel.

“Having said so, I think the UN needs to be able to act with impartiality in all circumstances and cannot be biased in favor of anybody,” he added. “Things need to be dealt based on the real face value of things and so I think that if Israel does something in relation to which we disagree, we need to express that disagreement, but that doesn’t mean that Israel needs to be discriminated on all other areas.”

By: Jonathan Benedek, World Israel News

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While Israel’s UN Ambassador applauded US ambassador Nikki Haley’s decision to reject the appointment of a Palestinian to be UN envoy to Libya, PLO official Hanan Ashrawi referred to the move as “unconscionable.” 

Israel’s Ambassador to the United Nations Danny Danon praised his US counterpart Nikki Haley for blocking the nomination of former Palestinian Authority (PA) Prime Minister Salam Fayyad to be the new UN envoy to Libya, referring to it as a demonstration of standing alongside Israel in the UN.

“This is the beginning of a new era at the UN,” said Danon. “The new Administration proved once again that it stands firmly alongside the State of Israel in the international arena and in the UN in particular.”

Haley expressed such sentiment in her remarks explaining her decision to veto Fayyad’s appointment.

“For too long the UN has been unfairly biased in favor of the Palestinian Authority to the detriment of our allies in Israel,” she said adding that, therefore, the US would not “support the signal this appointment would send within the United Nations.”

“Going forward, the United States will act, not just talk, in support of our allies,” Haley added.

Spokeswoman for United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres, Stephane Dujarric, rejected any assertions of bias against Israel or specific favoritism towards the PA in selecting Fayyad.

“United Nations staff serve strictly in their personal capacity,” she insisted. “They do not represent any government or country.”

Guterres had notified the UN Security Council this past week of his decision to appoint Fayyad for new UN envoy to Libya, a country that has been embroiled with internal conflict following the ousting of Moammar Gaddafi’s government in September 2011.

Hanan Ashrawi, member of the Palestine Liberation Organization’s Executive Committee, harshly condemned Haley’s decision to reject Fayyad, describing it as “unconscionable.”

“Blocking the appointment of Dr. Salam Fayyad is a case of blatant discrimination on the basis of national identity,” she argued.

By: Jonathan Benedek, World Israel News

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After suffering Abbas’ leadership, the Palestinians are in search of a new leader who could lead them down a positive path. Unfortunately, none of the candidates appear to have the capability to do so.

By: AP

Palestinian Authoruty head Mahmoud Abbas. (AP/Majdi Mohammed)

Unpopular after 11 years in power, Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas is starting to face some open machinations from would-be successors, as his dream of achieving Palestinian statehood lies in tatters.

One likely contender is believed to be behind recent claims — swiftly denied by Abbas’ camp — that the 80-year-old’s health is failing, while another has complained of a “real leadership crisis” in rare open criticism of Abbas from within his Fatah movement.

On Wednesday, Abbas made his first public appearance since the rumors of ill health circulated last week, in an apparent attempt to show he is fine. In a 40-minute televised speech, he hit familiar themes, berating Israel for settlement expansion and dismissing concerns that his self-rule government might collapse under mounting tensions.

Despite attempts to reassure the Palestinian public, claims of Abbas’ purported health problems have drawn attention to the lack of a designated successor or a process for picking one. Abbas holds key jobs as PLO (Palestine Liberation Organization) chief and head of the Palestinian Authority (PA), but the rift between Fatah in the Juda and Samaria region and its main rival, the Islamic Hamas terror organization in Gaza, has prevented timely leadership elections.

Behind the scenes, the battle for succession — likely to be chaotic when the time comes — is intensifying.

“The whole situation is extremely complex because we have a situation of instability, we have a situation where there are lots of wannabes,” said Hanan Ashrawi, a senior PLO member who is not a contender.

Claimers of the Crown

“The war of succession has started,” said Palestinian analyst Jihad Harb. “Fatah leaders see Abbas as an old man. Each of the potential successors is mobilizing.”

PA head Abbas (L) and chief negotiator Erekat. (Uri Lenz/Flash90)

Those who aspire to succeed Abbas include Saeb Erekat, 60, the veteran negotiator with Israel, who is seen as Abbas’ closest aide and favored successor, having displayed unwavering loyalty to the Palestinian leader.

Late last year, Abbas appointed Erekat as secretary general of the PLO, the same position Abbas once used as a springboard for becoming the main candidate in presidential elections following the death of Yasser Arafat in November 2004. Erekat is seen by some in Fatah as an outsider, and polls indicate he would do poorly in elections for head of the PA.

Another option is Mohammed Dahlan, 54, who was once seen as a promising future leader. He lost political standing after the loss of his native Gaza to Hamas in a 2007 takeover and his falling-out with Abbas in 2010.

In exile, Dahlan expanded his business interests and forged close ties with the leaders of Egypt and the United Arab Emirates (UAE). He has used money and political clout to shore up support in Gaza.

Palestinian Football Association President Jibril Rajoub. (AP/Nasser Shiyoukhi)

Jibril Rajoub, 62, serves as head of the Palestinian Football Federation and is rising to the top ranks of Fatah. In comments last week, Rajoub complained of a “real leadership crisis,” though he didn’t refer to Abbas by name. Rajoub said bad decisions have been taken on a series of crucial issues, including the relationship with Hamas and with regional leaders.

Salam Fayyad, 63, served as an Abbas-appointed Palestinian prime minister from 2007-2013. The economist won praise from the international community for cleaning up the PA’s finances. At the same time, the political independent has failed to build broad political support at home. Fayyad, who resigned two years ago amid growing disagreements with Abbas and Fatah, made overtures in recent weeks to former nemesis Hamas, an odd alliance that could help him in a leadership bid.

In a recent lecture at a Hamas-affiliated think tank in Gaza, Fayyad called for ending the political split quickly, creating a new leadership body that includes Hamas and rebuilding Gaza.

Hamas leader Haniyeh. (Abed Rahim Khatib /Flash90)

Marwan Barghouti, 56, an arch-terrorist who is serving multiple life terms in an Israeli prison, is expected to run for president from his cell once Abbas is out of the picture, according to his inner circle. Opinion polls have consistently shown Barghouti to be the most popular Palestinian politician. At a time when two-thirds of Palestinians want Abbas to resign, Barghouti would handily defeat a Hamas challenger, such as former Gaza-based Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh, in presidential elections. It’s not clear, though, if Palestinians would opt for a leader in an Israeli lock-up if faced with the actual choice.

Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh, 52, might sit out presidential elections because of his past experience of being shunned by the international community over his refusal to renounce violence, and might instead settle for serving as kingmaker. If Hamas does compete, a likely candidate would be Haniyeh, a preacher turned politician and one of the most powerful figures in the movement.

Unfortunately for Israel, all the aforementioned candidates have a long track-record of diplomatic and terrorist activities against the Jewish State, and none would serve as a partner for peace.

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