Much of what will determine who succeeds Mahmoud Abbas as Palestinian leader will be the political liberation strategy that the Palestinian leadership group decides upon, journalist Daoud Kuttab explained to our webinar audience on Wednesday, September 6. Will it be a continuation of Abbas’ approach of diplomacy and nonviolence? Or a hybrid strategy, combining diplomacy and armed struggle? Or perhaps a throwback to the resistance strategy of the First Intifada? Different potential successors fit each of these scenarios, he noted.
Kuttab’s co-panelist, Prof. Nathan Brown, stressed that the legitimacy of the next Palestinian president will hinge heavily on democratic elections being held, rather than the inner circle making this decision. However, he added, holding such elections doesn’t depend on the Palestinians alone: It also requires buy-in from Israel; but Israel, he pointed out, is badly split between realists, who believe a stable Palestinian Authority is an Israeli interest, and extremists who don’t, and are liable to try and foil such an election.
We are happy to share a recording of our September 6 webinar, “After Abbas: The Politics of Palestinian Succession and the Future of the Palestinian National Movement”, which was part of our Conversations with Israel and Palestine series. The discussion was moderated by Dr. Diana B. Greenwald.