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Source: https://jcfa.org/congratulations-mr-dictator/
Mahmoud Abbas Begins His 22nd Year as PA Chairman
(Jerusalem Center for Security and Foreign Affairs) Lt.-Col. (res.) Maurice Hirsch - On Jan. 9, 2026, Mahmoud Abbas will begin his 22nd year of his first four-year term as Chairman of the Palestinian Authority (PA). According to PA law, elections for the position of PA Chairman/President are to be held every four years and an incumbent can only serve for two terms. The last elections for the position were held in 2005. As the elections were boycotted by Hamas, only 802,077 Palestinians actually cast their ballot, of which only 501,448 voted for Abbas - 28% of the potential 1,760,481 voters. Abbas knows perfectly well why he has never allowed additional elections to be held. The last polls published in October 2025 show that only 23% of Palestinians were satisfied with his performance and 80% want him to resign. The writer, former director of the Military Prosecution in Judea and Samaria, is director of the Palestinian Authority Accountability Initiative at the Jerusalem Center.