The battle for the chair of the chairman of the Palestinian Authority, after the death of Abu Mazen, may lead to “popular protests, repression, violence and even the collapse of the Palestinian Authority”, according to a report by the “International Crisis Group” (ICG). The report also states that despite The fact that the best scenario is holding elections in the democratic way, remains the “least likely” option.
According to the report, the 87-year-old Abu Mazen does not have a nominated and agreed successor, and there is a wide disagreement between different political groups on the Palestinian street regarding the appropriate successor. It was also written that “Abu Mazen is emptying the Palestinian institutions and mechanisms of their duties and powers to decide who will succeed him” and that “it is not clear how this will be done.”
The Palestinians have not gone to the polls since Abbas took office in 2005, after the death of Arafat. Even after he announced elections in 2021, he reversed the decision, justifying it “by Israel’s refusal to allow the elections to take place in East Jerusalem, which Israel captured in 1967, and which they see as their future capital.”
Alongside this, the ICG report mentioned the names of several Palestinian personalities who are candidates to succeed Abbas, such as the Secretary General of the PLO Executive Committee, Hussein al-Sheikh, and the head of the Palestinian Intelligence Service, Majed Faraj. Although the two enjoy great weight in the Palestinian Authority and their ability to work with the international community, the report indicates that they do not enjoy much popularity among the Palestinians. At the same time, the ICG also mentioned the president of the Palestinian Football Association, Jibril Rajoub, and the former head of the thwarted security service, Muhammad Dahlan, as possible successors.
The succession battle recently caused an uproar in the Palestinian public, after the Palestinian news agency “Shahab” published recordings in which Hussein al-Sheikh can be heard attacking the chairman of the Palestinian Authority. Al-Sheikh exposed the difficult succession struggles between the two, and even testified about The attempts to get rid of the current chairman. Also, A-Sheikh is heard cursing Abu Mazen harshly and calling him a “66 year old *****”.
In the recordings revealed by the Palestinian News Agency, the Sheikh is heard very angry with Abu Mazen, and with Majed Faraj, the head of the Palestinian General Intelligence Mechanism. A-Sheikh was heard harshly attacking the 87-year-old Abu Mazen and blaming him for the current chaos in the PA. According to him, “Abu Mazen is complicit in the chaos, he is complicit in it and has an interest in its survival, and I regret saying those words.”
Hussein al-Sheikh (right) (Photo: Reuters)Al-Sheikh described what is happening now in the Fatah movement as “the battle of Abu Mazen’s succession”, in which many parties are involved. He emphasized that “the security forces are also involved in Abu Mazen’s succession battle.” However, he said that “the day after Abu Mazen will be under an orderly plan”, and that Abbas intends to appoint Mahmoud al-Alul, a member of Fatah’s Central Committee and Abbas’s deputy, as his successor. Also, A-Sheikh also referred to the tensions between the terrorist organization Hamas to the PA’s security forces and said that Hamas is taking advantage of the current situation.
Later, A-Sheikh is heard talking to another person about the next steps in the succession battle against Abbas and is heard cursing Abu Mazen. A-Sheikh told another person heard on the recording that “Abu Mazen scratched his brain”. He also accused Abbas of starting battles against Jibril Rajoub, Azzam al-Ahmed, member of the Palestinian Legislative Council, Tawfiq Tirawi, security adviser to the chairman of the Palestinian Authority, Abu Mazen, and Mahmoud Alalul.