Why has Palestinian Authority’s Mahmoud Abbas nominated a successor now? 

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

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

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

So why is he nominating a successor now and how would the succession process go?

First, what’s the Palestinian Authority?

The PA was established as an interim Palestinian government under the 1993 Oslo Accords, which then-Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin signed with Arafat.

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

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

But Israel routinely conducts violent raids all over the occupied West Bank.

Critics say the PA effectively acts as a security apparatus on behalf of the Israeli occupation.

Why is the PA still around?

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

However, within just a year of the accords being signed, Israel was building illegal settlements in the West Bank.

The assassination of Rabin by a far-right Israeli nationalist also dimmed any hopes that Israel would surrender the occupied territory to the PA.

Despite failing to bring about Palestinian statehood, the PA continued indefinitely under the leadership of Abbas, even though his term technically came to an end in 2009.

Why is Abbas still president of the PA?

In 2006, the Hamas group, which did not recognise Israel, won the election to lead the PA.

Western donors froze funding to force it to recognise Israel, which it refuses to do until Israel recognises a Palestinian state.

A power-sharing was attempted between Hamas and rival party Fatah – which also Abbas leads – but fighting erupted and Hamas kicked Fatah out of Gaza.

Fatah has since run the PA in the occupied West Bank, failing to stop Israel’s encroachment and losing popularity.

Abbas avoids parliamentary and presidential elections because, analysts say, he fears Fatah losing to Hamas and him losing his post.

Palestinians hoped they would vote in May 2021, but Abbas postponed the elections, blaming Israel for saying it would not allow voting in occupied East Jerusalem.

Has he never had a successor? What if he gets sick?

He only chose a successor a few days ago.

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

If Abbas cannot continue as president, Fattouh assumes the presidency of the PA for 90 days until elections can be held. He did that before, in 2004 when Arafat died.

Fattouh is not power-hungry and will readily step aside once a new figure is elected, Tahani Mustafa, an expert on Palestinian politics for the International Crisis Group, said.

“Rawhi Fattouh … doesn’t have any political ambition,” she said. “He is someone that will just hand over the mantle.”

Why did Abbas do this now?

Reportedly, because of pressure from the US and Gulf states.

In September, Saudi Arabia allied with several Arab and European countries – it didn’t specify which ones – to push for a two-state solution to bring an end to the Palestinian-Israeli conflict.

Later in September, Riyadh pledged to give the cash-strapped Authority $60m to keep it afloat.

ICG’s Mustafa said Saudi Arabia conditioned the final instalment of $10m on Abbas choosing a successor.

The PA had been ham-strung by Israel withholding $188m in tax revenues that it collects on behalf of the PA – an Oslo stipulation.

Does Abbas still have power in Palestinian politics?

Yes, him and his circle.

Abbas still heads Fatah, the largest and oldest Palestinian political group and has already picked Mahmoud al-Aloul – deputy chairman of the central committee – to take over the party after him.

More significantly, Abbas heads the Palestinian Liberation Organisation (PLO), which is far more powerful than the PA.

The PLO – an umbrella movement of Palestinian factions dominated by Fatah – lobbies for the rights of Palestinians and makes decisions on their behalf on the global stage

According to Mustafa, Abbas has ensured that his close confidant Hussein al-Sheikh – PLO secretary-general – will succeed him as its head.

To do this, Abbas staffed the executive council of the PLO with loyalists to ensure they vote someone from his circle into power if an election happens.

“The PA is the least-coveted role because it is just … a service provider,” said Mustafa. “The real creme de la creme here is the PLO and Fatah.”