The individual whom Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has named as a temporary successor, who would take over from him should he die or leave his post, does not enjoy the support of the Palestinian people, according to Lt.-Col. (res.) Maurice Hirsch of the Jerusalem Center for Security and Foreign Affairs.
He told ILTV on Thursday that Abbas’s appointment of the chairman of the Palestinian National Council, Rawhi Fattouh, someone who is not connected to the Palestinian Authority, is basically saying that the PA has ceased to exist.
“It has been entirely usurped by the PLO and its mechanisms,” Hirsch said.
Hirsch added that Fattouh does not have popular support among the people.
“He's only being appointed, really, as a functionary for the interim period until new elections happen,” Hirsch said, although the Palestinians do not have a good track record of holding elections, and therefore, “he will just assume this position for an unending period of time.”
Watch the full interview:
ABBAS SUCCESSOR
(קרדיט: ILTV)
