Phone Smuggler Named Interim Palestinian Authority Leader: U.S. Pressure or Strategy to Avert Conflict?

In a pivotal move, as the Palestinian Authority eyes its role in Gaza's post-war future, President Mahmoud Abbas named a successor, subtly steering the choice toward a trusted ally.

On November 27, 2024, Abbas decreed that the National Council President, representing the Palestinian Liberation Organization’s parliament, will step in as Authority President if the position becomes vacant.

The person holding this position (currently chaired by Rawhi Fattouh) would take on the presidency for 90 days, during which free and direct presidential elections are to be held.

In a subtle nod to the ongoing power struggle among various figures vying to succeed Abbas, the decree emphasized that if elections cannot be held within this period due to force majeure, Fattouh’s term would be extended “only once,” meaning he could remain in office for up to six months until elections are conducted.

The constitutional decree does not specify what would happen if elections are still not held after six months. Would Fattouh remain in the role indefinitely?

‘Illegitimate Heir’

Abbas’s choice of Rawhi Fattouh seems like a strategic move to prevent infighting and power struggles within the Palestinian Authority as others vie for his position.

It is also speculated that the choice may have been influenced by U.S. and European pressures on Abbas to step down and introduce “reforms” within the Palestinian Authority, ensuring a more palatable figure to deal with, distanced from current officials.

However, the selection raises questions, as Fattouh was previously implicated in a corruption scandal in 2008 when he was caught at the Allenby Bridge crossing between Jordan and occupied Palestine with 3,000 mobile phones in his car.

Despite his unpopularity, Abbas, now 89, has remained at the helm of the Palestinian Authority for two decades.

In 2021, he canceled a decree calling for the first Palestinian elections in 15 years, fearing that Hamas might win the presidency and parliament.

Abbas and the Palestinian Authority have faced criticism for acting as security enforcers for the Israeli Occupation, rampant corruption, and their inability to curb increasing settler encroachments on the occupied West Bank.

The decision to appoint Fattouh has sparked speculation, particularly about why Abbas didn’t choose one of the prominent contenders for his succession.

Among the key figures previously expected to succeed Abbas are Hussein al-Sheikh, Secretary-General of the PLO’s Executive Committee; Majed Faraj, the Intelligence Chief; and Salam Fayyad, a former Prime Minister favored by the West.

This decision contradicts the Palestinian Authority’s Basic Law, which states that in the event of a presidential vacancy, the elected Speaker of the Legislative Council should assume the presidency for two months until elections are held—not the head of the National Council.

This mechanism was successfully implemented following the death of President Yasser Arafat. However, it became unfeasible after Abbas dissolved the Legislative Council in 2018, which was chaired by Aziz Dweik, a prominent Hamas leader.

Notably, Fattouh was the Speaker of the Legislative Council from 2004 to 2006. He briefly assumed the presidency after Arafat’s death and oversaw the elections that brought Abbas to power.

Today, Fattouh is seen as an “illegitimate heir” to the presidency because Aziz Dweik should have been next in line to lead Palestine in Abbas’s absence. However, Abbas preemptively denied him this role by dissolving the Legislative Council.

In essence, Abbas, who once took power from Fattouh, may now return it to him temporarily, pending elections under the latest constitutional decree.

Three Possible Explanations

Abbas's move to name Rawhi Fattouh as his successor while still in power raises many questions. Is it about his declining health and aging, making him unable to lead? Or is it a response to “Israel” and the U.S. refusing to engage with him, despite his push for prosecuting Netanyahu at the ICC, all while keeping security ties with the Israeli Occupation intact?

Or perhaps Abbas fears the collapse of the Palestinian Authority after him, sparking a power struggle among key figures like Hussein al-Sheikh, Majed Faraj, and Rawhi Fattouh, all vying for control.

In January 2022, Fatah, under Abbas’s leadership, elevated three figures perceived as “Israel's proxies”: Rawhi Fattouh to head the Palestinian National Council, Hussein al-Sheikh to join the Executive Committee, and Azzam al-Ahmad as Secretary-General of the PLO.

Fattouh, a member of the founding generation of the Palestinian Authority, is seen as a “low-profile figure.” This has led many to interpret Abbas’s decision as an effort to avoid a succession battle, particularly among prominent figures like al-Sheikh, Jibril Rajoub, and Mahmoud Aloul.

Mohammad al-Jammal, a member of Fatah, emphasized that Fattouh’s appointment as Abbas’s successor is tied to heavy international pressure on Palestinian leadership, aimed at protecting “Israel” from prosecution at the ICC.

He noted that the Palestinian Authority is under immense pressure to withdraw or freeze complaints against “Israel” at the ICC, which led to the issuance of an arrest warrant against Netanyahu. According to al-Jammal, the decision to name Abbas's successor is a challenge and rejection of these pressures.

If Abbas refuses to comply with these pressures, the U.S. and “Israel” may move to end his political career. This scenario could even include “assassination” as a means to remove him, paving the way for political chaos that “Israel” could exploit to annex the West Bank and dismantle the Palestinian Authority.

He called the appointment of a successor a “preemptive move” by Abbas to avoid a political vacuum in case of his sudden absence, aiming to block any attempts by the Israeli Occupation to exploit the situation for its own goals.

Pressure and Implications

A senior Fatah source, who did not wish to be named due to the sensitivity of the issue, told Middle East Eye that Abbas' move came after “enormous American pressure.”

According to him, there is a plan to form a committee to administer Gaza's civil affairs after the war. The committee would be announced by Abbas but the PA will have no power within it, the source said. 

The source also noted that the incoming U.S. administration is focused on annexing parts of the occupied West Bank, which could diminish Abbas’s role and authority.

Haaretz echoed this scenario on November 28, 2024, suggesting that Abbas is being “pushed to resign,” which may explain his decision to name a future successor. 

It cited officials in the Palestinian Authority’s Ramallah headquarters denying that Abbas’s health was the reason for the decree. However, they admitted that external pressures influenced the decision. Senior Palestinian sources reportedly told the newspaper that Abbas was pressured to either retire or designate a successor if he could no longer fulfill his duties.

Hani al-Masri, Director General of Masarat, the Palestinian Center for Policy Research and Strategic Studies, told BBC that Abbas faced U.S. and Saudi pressure to appoint a deputy, though his response to this pressure through the decree was “misleading.”

“The U.S. and Saudi Arabia’s demands aimed to ensure the continuity of the Palestinian Authority after Abbas’s departure.” 

“However, his decree naming Fattouh didn’t solve the problem,” he added.

“While the president has found a way to fill the political vacuum in his absence, it’s unrealistic given the challenges of holding elections under the current Palestinian conditions.”

Impact of the Decision

Ironically, despite the Israeli threats and the ongoing war on Gaza, Amos Harel of Haaretz said on November 29, 2024, that “Israeli-Palestinian security cooperation in the West Bank remains solid.” 

“It's surprising to see Palestinian security officials' near total lack of emotion regarding Hamas' travails in Gaza. When you talk to them, they're curious about Iran's meddling in the West Bank,” he added.

Palestinian analysts warn that Abbas's decision, intended to avert a succession crisis, could backfire—fueling tensions or simply postponing the inevitable.

Palestinian political analyst Yasser Zaatreh said, “Rawhi Fattouh holds little significance among Fatah factions, meaning the struggle for succession remains wide open.”

Palestinian sources told Al-Estiklal that Hussein al-Sheikh, dubbed the “maestro of security coordination with the Israeli Occupation,” is “Israel’s preferred choice” to lead the Palestinian Authority. “Israel” sees al-Sheikh as a trusted ally due to his opposition to both popular resistance in the West Bank and armed resistance in Gaza. He is also known for holding meetings and maintaining direct lines of communication with the Israeli Occupation to suppress resistance efforts.

This decision also signals a move to undermine Palestinian democracy, with the appointment of a symbolic president or successor without elections. It consolidates power within Fatah and Abbas’s loyalists, many of whom are described as “Israeli proxies,” effectively canceling elections under various pretexts.

“Fatah officials warned that, if implemented, the decree would force Palestinian factions and international and Arab parties to quickly organize elections for both the presidency and parliament. Some, however, see the move as a tactic to allow Abbas' inner circle to retain control, with Fattouh serving as a figurehead,” as per Haaretz.

The timing of the decision is also suspicious, coming at a time when the Israeli Occupation has been trying to weaken Hamas and prevent it from ruling in Gaza, its largest stronghold, not just the West Bank—leaving the resistance movement with no chance to enter the current presidential and parliamentary elections.

Phone Smuggler!

Rawhi Fattouh, a longstanding figure in Palestinian politics, previously served as the interim president of the Palestinian Authority in 2004 following Yasser Arafat’s death. His tenure lasted 60 days, during which general elections resulted in Abbas’s victory.

However, Fattouh’s reputation was marred by a scandal in 2008, when he was caught smuggling cell phones valued at hundreds of thousands of dollars. According to The Jerusalem Post (March 22, 2008), Fattouh used a VIP card to illegally transport approximately 3,000 mobile phones from Jordan to the Palestinian Authority. Israeli authorities discovered the smuggling operation, detained Fattouh, and handed him over to the Palestinian Authority.

At the time, Palestinian security sources did not rule out the possibility that Fattouh was part of a larger smuggling network involving senior officials with VIP cards issued by “Israel.” Although Fattouh denied involvement, blaming his driver, the incident caused significant embarrassment to the Palestinian leadership.

Fattouh joined Fatah in 1968 and trained at Iraq’s military college before serving in the organization’s bases in Jordan, Lebanon, and Syria. He began his political work in Fatah (Syria region), where he served as the secretary of the organization, head of the student office, and president of the executive committee of the General Union of Palestinian Students in the country.

By the late 1970s, he became a member of the executive body of the Palestinian Students Union. In 1989, he was elected to the Revolutionary Council at Fatah’s fifth general conference and has since held various leadership roles.

Currently, Fattouh chairs the Palestinian National Council, the highest authority representing Palestinians globally. According to the Palestinian Constitution, the council defines the policies and programs of the Palestine Liberation Organization.