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RAMALLAH, West Bank (AP) — Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas names longtime economic adviser as next prime minister in the face of U.S. pressure to reform the Palestinian Authority as part of Washington’s postwar vision for Gaza did.
Mohammad Mustafa, a US-educated economist and political independent, will lead a technocratic government in the Israeli-occupied West Bank and potentially rule Gaza ahead of eventual statehood. be. However, these plans face major obstacles, including: strong opposition From Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, israel-hamas war It continues with no end in sight.
With the 88-year-old president still in overall control, it is unclear whether the appointments of a new cabinet led by Mr. Abbas, who is close to Mr. Abbas, will be sufficient to meet U.S. demands for reform.
“The changes that the United States and regional countries want are not necessarily the changes that the Palestinian people want,” said Hani al-Masri, a Palestinian political analyst. “People want real change in politics, not a name change. … They want elections.”
He said Mustafa was a “respected and well-educated man” but would struggle to meet public demands for improved conditions in the occupied West Bank, where Israeli restrictions have been imposed since the start of the war. He said he was deaf. caused an economic crisis.
In a statement announcing his appointment, Prime Minister Abbas called on Mustafa to put together a plan to reunite the West Bank and Gaza administrations, lead reforms to the government, security services and economy, and fight corruption.
Washington welcomed Mustafa’s appointment but urged him to quickly form a cabinet to implement reforms.
“The United States expects this new administration to implement policy and carry out credible and far-reaching reforms. A reformed Palestinian Authority will deliver results for the Palestinian people and ensure that both the West Bank and Gaza “This is essential to establishing conditions for stability in the United States,” said National Security Council Spokesperson Adrian Watson.
Mustafa was born in the West Bank town of Tulkarem in 1954 and earned a doctorate in business administration and economics from George Washington University. He has held senior positions at the World Bank and previously served as Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Economy. He currently serves as Chairman of the Palestine Investment Fund.
Former Prime Minister Mohammad Shtayyeh resigned along with the government Last month, he said a different deal was needed because of the “new reality in Gaza.”
The Palestinian Authority was established in the 1990s through an interim peace agreement and was envisioned as a stepping stone to eventual statehood.
However, peace talks have repeatedly broken down, most recently in 2009, when Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu returned to power. Hamas seized power in Gaza from forces loyal to Abbas in 2007, limiting its limited authority to major population centers that make up about 40% of the Israeli-occupied western territory. Bank.
Abbas is very unpopular among Palestinians, many of them view the PA as little more than a subcontractor of the occupation because of its cooperation with Israel on security issues. His term ended in 2009, but he has refused to hold elections. condemn Israeli restrictions. Hamas won his last parliamentary election in 2006 by a landslide. Hamas, considered a terrorist group by Israel and the West, is likely to do well in a free and fair vote.
Prime Minister Abbas, unlike his Hamas rivals, is committed to a negotiated solution that recognizes Israel, renounces armed struggle, and establishes an independent Palestinian state alongside Israel. His goal is shared by the international community.
Israel has long criticized the PA over its payments to the families of Palestinians killed or imprisoned by Israel, including executives who have killed Israelis. The PA defends these payments as a form of social welfare for families affected by decades of conflict.
This conflict resulted in the suspension of Israel’s activities. Some taxes and duties The tax is collected on behalf of the PA, contributing to its long-standing budget shortfall. PA pays the salaries of tens of thousands of teachers, health care workers, and other public employees.
The United States called for Reformed PA The aim is to extend that warrant to post-war Gaza in advance of the eventual establishment of a Palestinian state in both areas. Prime Minister Netanyahu has ruled out any role for the PA in Gaza, and he opposes the establishment of a Palestinian state.
Israel occupied the West Bank, Gaza, and East Jerusalem in the 1967 Middle East War. Palestinians want all three territories to form a future state.
Israel annexed East Jerusalem in a move not internationally recognized and considers the entire city, including key holy sites sacred to Jews, Christians and Muslims, its undivided capital. Israel has built numerous settlements across the West Bank, with more than 500,000 Jewish settlers living in close proximity to about 3 million Palestinians.
Israel withdrew its soldiers and settlers from Gaza in 2005, but two years later Hamas seized power and together with Egypt blockaded the Strip.
Prime Minister Netanyahu has vowed to dismantle Hamas and maintain unfettered security control over Gaza. October 7 attack by HamasIn the incident, militants stormed into southern Israel, killing around 1,200 people and taking another 250 hostages. The ensuing Israeli invasion of Gaza left more than 31,000 Palestinians dead, according to Gaza health officials.
The Palestinian Authority has said it has no intention of returning to the Gaza Strip on Israeli tanks and would only assume control of it as part of a comprehensive solution to the conflict that includes state authority.
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For more information on AP coverage, please visit: https://apnews.com/hub/israel-hamas-war
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