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Implications of Postponing the Palestinian Elections
(Washington Institute for Near East Policy) Ghaith al-Omari - Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas' ill-advised election gambit has exposed deep dysfunctions within the Palestinian political system, turning what Abbas may have considered to be a risk-free way for him to renew his legitimacy into something that may threaten his grip on power. However, failure to hold elections highlights structural challenges facing the PA and Fatah, as well as the chimerical nature of trying to achieve Palestinian unity under the current circumstances. Abbas seems to have underestimated the depth of the legal and political obstacles to U.S. engagement with the PA if Hamas is brought back into its structures. The decision by Hamas to nominate candidates who were directly involved in deadly acts of terror made it difficult for countries to support the elections. And Jordan and Egypt, while refraining from directly opposing the elections, made their concerns privately known. The severe legitimacy crisis facing the Palestinian political system will continue to challenge any prospects for more ambitious U.S. and international initiatives to resolve the Palestinian-Israeli conflict. As the U.S. continues to reengage the PA, the issue of reform needs to be added to the agenda, to stave off the constant leakage of the PA's domestic legitimacy. The writer is a senior fellow at The Washington Institute.