(Ramallah) Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has appointed one of his loyalists, the economist Mohammad Mustafa as new prime minister, at a time when the weakened Palestinian Authority must place itself in the perspective of the post-war in Gaza.
Mr. Mustafa, 69, was head of the Palestine Investment Fund (PIF). Former economic advisor to President Abbas, he held senior positions at the World Bank in Washington for 15 years.
This international civil servant takes office in the middle of the war between Israel and the Palestinian Islamist movement Hamas in the Gaza Strip.
At the end of February, Prime Minister Mohammed Shtayyeh presented the resignation of his government, arguing for the need for a new policy taking into account “the new reality in the Gaza Strip” and the “urgent need for an inter-Palestinian consensus”.
A few days later, the various Palestinian movements – including the rivals of Hamas and Fatah, the party of Mahmoud Abbas – met in Moscow and announced their intention to get talks back on track to “unite” their voices under the banner of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO).
Since fratricidal clashes in June 2007, the Palestinian leadership has been divided between the Palestinian Authority of Mahmoud Abbas, which exercises limited power in the West Bank, territory occupied since 1967 by Israel, while Hamas is in power in the Gaza Strip, today ravaged by war.
In recent months, many Palestinians have criticized President Abbas, 88, last elected in 2005, for his “helplessness” in the face of Israeli raids in the Gaza Strip.
The question of the role of the Palestinian Authority when the war ends remains largely unknown, due to its limited influence and the refusal of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to envisage a future Palestinian state.
“Acceptable for Americans”
For Palestinian analyst Abdul Majeed Sweilem, Mr. Mustafa’s appointment represents an attempt to strengthen Palestinian institutions at a time when President Abbas is “besieged and under pressure” from Israel and Washington.
Mr. Mustafa will probably be considered a profile “acceptable to the Americans,” adds the analyst.
Proof of this is that the White House on Thursday welcomed the announcement of Mr. Mustafa’s appointment and called for the formation of a council of ministers “as quickly as possible.”
“The United States will expect this new administration to implement credible and comprehensive policies and reforms,” White House National Security Council spokesperson Adrienne Watson said in a statement.
But for political scientist Khalil Shaheen, the new prime minister is above all a loyalist of President Abbas. “Mustafa has an economic vision, but he remains under the authority of President Abbas. At the end of the day, he will remain his right arm,” he believes.
“Abbas wants to prove that he supports reforms”, but “with this appointment, he ensures that he has a prime minister who will not challenge him”, adds Mr. Shaheen.
The international community, led by the United States, supports the two-state solution as a perspective after the war and to establish peace in the region. But for Washington, this implies “a renovated Palestinian authority”, confided last month a senior White House official on condition of anonymity.
The war was provoked on October 7 by an unprecedented attack carried out in Israel by Hamas commandos infiltrated from Gaza, which resulted in the death of at least 1,160 people, mostly civilians, according to an AFP count. based on official Israeli data.
In retaliation, Israel vowed to “annihilate” Hamas and launched a vast military offensive in the Gaza Strip which has left more than 31,300 dead, the vast majority civilians, since October 7, according to the latest report. of the Hamas Ministry of Health.