Mahmoud Abbas and Salam Fayyad attend a swearing-in ceremony for the emergency cabinet in Ramallah, June 2007.
Oleg Popov / Reuters
Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas’ refusal to name a successor, hold elections, or reform the PA’s corrupt institutions is pushing his rivals to unite against him. The staunchest of enemies—from members of Hamas to former members of the PA, including the Western-educated reformer Salam Fayyad and the exiled Fatah strongman Mohammad Dahlan—have found common ground in their quest to dethrone the aging Palestinian leader.
Abbas’ politics of exclusion has driven his rivals together. He has refused to name a deputy and continues to forestall any attempts at political reform in the West Bank. His Fatah party is
Source URL: https://www.foreignaffairs.com/articles/middle-east/2015-12-23/unholy-alliance