Palestinians are in a political crisis. With Palestinian society divided, and no unified national leadership to represent it, regional and global powers are drawing up plans for the future of Gaza and Palestine – without any say from Palestinians.
Prominent political figure Hussein al-Sheikh was recently tapped by President Mahmoud Abbas as vice president of the PLO, and by extension, Abbas’ successor. The appointment tells us a lot about what the future of Palestinian politics may look like.
Anti-Hamas protests this week in Gaza reflect widespread Palestinian desperation amid the Israeli genocide. The figures behind the protests might also indicate that external actors are now seeking to exploit Gaza’s pain for political gain.
To endure interrogation, Palestinian political prisoners embody steadfastness. To endure prison life, steadfastness becomes a battle over time.
To say the current Palestinian political crisis is simply a Hamas-Fatah split is to ignore a history of division that cannot be solely blamed on Palestinians.
The Palestinian people have not only been fragmented by Israel, but also by its own corrupted leadership. It is up to grassroots activists and intellectuals to correct the capitulation of the Oslo elite.