November 20, 2021 | The National Interest
How Biden Should Navigate Palestine’s Succession Crisis
In light of Abbas’s consolidation of power and the lack of an heir apparent, U.S. engagement should be used as a lever to encourage Abbas to empower a successor.
November 20, 2021 | The National Interest
How Biden Should Navigate Palestine’s Succession Crisis
In light of Abbas’s consolidation of power and the lack of an heir apparent, U.S. engagement should be used as a lever to encourage Abbas to empower a successor.
After a five-month delay, the U.S. Senate confirmed Thomas Nides as the Biden administration’s ambassador to Israel. An uncontroversial nomination, Nides served as one of Hillary Clinton’s top deputies at the State Department and is a seasoned Democratic Party operator. Once in Jerusalem, Nides will face myriad challenges, including the potential for the Palestinian Authority (PA) to implode if its aged, ailing, and deeply unpopular president, Mahmoud Abbas, departs the scene without a successor in place. To forestall a potential succession crisis, and fend off the worst-case scenario of a Hamas coup, Nides and the rest of Biden’s national security team should learn from the George W. Bush administration’s successes and demand that Abbas lay the groundwork for a predictable succession.