Published: 15 August 2023
Last updated: 5 March 2024
Saudi Arabia has appointed its first ambassador to Palestine, but the Palestinian Authority is more fragile than ever.
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas fired most of the governors in the occupied West Bank on Thursday, responding to long-standing demands for a political shake-up as frustration grows with the semi-autonomous Palestinian Authority.
Abbas issued a decree dismissing the governors of eight provinces under Palestinian administration in the occupied territory. The upheaval included the restive northern cities of Nablus, Jenin and Tulkarem, the focus of a recent surge in Palestinian militancy that has undermined the authority’s leadership. Only three areas — including Ramallah, the seat of the Palestinian Authority — retained their governors. Abbas’s office said t he would form a committee to suggest replacements.
Although the decision is unlikely to have an immediate impact, experts said it signals Abbas’s recognition of the authority’s deepening unpopularity and his desire to show that he is heeding calls for change in the face of mounting difficulties.
Palestinians have not had the chance to vote in national elections since 2006. Abbas’s four-year term technically ended in 2009.
Saudi Arabia this week moved to endorse the PA by appointing Nayef Al Sudairi, its ambassador to Jordan, as its non-resident ambassadorto Palestine.
Israel has rejected the idea of a diplomatic base in Jerusalem for the envoy to the PA, who recently presented his credentials to Abbas’s diplomatic adviser, Majdi al-Khalidi.
Gershon Baskin argued in The Times of Israel this week that the Saudi appointment and similar moves to recognise Palestine and appoint ambassadors could revive the two-state solution.
Citing the Australian government’s recent decision to refer to the West Bank as occupied and the UK’s similar language, Baskin called on international governments, including the US and the countries of the European Union, to follow suit and appoint ambassadors.
