Palestinian Authority chairman Mahmoud Abbas has been making diplomatic efforts on the international stage and within the Arab world to gain legitimacy and support for his return to governing Gaza after the war.
However, opposition to his leadership is not limited to Israel, which rejects a role for the P.A. in post-war Gaza due to its support for terrorism. Arab leaders also recognize the changing reality and believe Abbas’s rule is ending.
On Feb. 21, 2025, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (MBS) held a closed meeting with Arab leaders to discuss U.S. President Donald Trump’s migration plan for Gaza and preparations for the post-war period. Abbas was entirely excluded from the discussion.
According to senior Israeli security officials, this exclusion clearly indicates Abbas’s declining status in the Arab world and suggests that Arab leaders expect his imminent departure from the political stage.
Abbas’s absence from such a crucial summit—where critical deliberations took place regarding the future of the Palestinian people in Gaza—suggests that a gradual process of sidelining the P.A. has begun.
The P.A. is also widely perceived as corrupt in the Arab world.
Recently, Egypt and donor countries refused to grant the P.A. direct control over funds designated for Gaza’s reconstruction due to concerns over “lack of transparency”—in other words, fears of embezzlement, given past instances of donor funds being misappropriated by the P.A.
Security sources indicate that there are signs the Arab world is aligning with the stance of the previous U.S. administration, which advocated for restructuring the Palestinian political system, revitalizing the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) and replacing the aging Abbas, now 89.
On Feb. 15, Abbas attended the 38th African Union Summit in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. However, according to senior Fatah officials, Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune and other high-ranking African leaders completely ignored his presence—another sign that his political end is near.
There are also signs of tension within the P.A. leadership.
Hussein al-Sheikh, a close associate of Abbas and secretary-general of the PLO Executive Committee, was dismissed as civil affairs minister and replaced by Ayman Kandil.
This internal discord is further fueled by Abbas’s intention to present a new “P.A. vision for addressing current challenges” at the upcoming Arab League Summit on March 4. At this summit, he will officially announce another delay in Palestinian presidential and parliamentary elections—postponing them by at least another year “due to circumstances.”
Senior P.A. officials have criticized Abbas, accusing him of stalling to remain in power while circumventing the Palestinian public’s growing demand for immediate elections to replace him.
Despite his advanced age, Abbas continues maneuvering politically to retain his position. However, Israeli security officials believe he is holding onto power solely thanks to a corrupt inner circle of senior Fatah officials who benefit from his rule.
Nonetheless, his time is running out. According to their assessment, Abbas is on his way to an early retirement, and Israel is also preparing for his departure from the political scene.
Originally published by the Jerusalem Center for Foreign and Security Affairs.
