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As the war rages between Hamas and Israel, the timid positions taken by Fatah and the Palestinian Authority, led by Mahmoud Abbas, raise questions. After having been the main player in the Palestinian cause, the party seems trapped by its policy of negotiation with Israel initiated by its founder, Yasser Arafat. This weakness is playing into the hands of the Islamist movement.
Following the surprise attack by Hamas on October 7, while bombings continue in Gaza, the Fatah movement and the Palestinian Authority, led by Mahmoud Abbas, have been notably absent. Criticized for years by some Palestinians, accused of corruption and collaboration with Israel, Fatah appears to have lost credibility. This is a significant advantage for Hamas, supported by Iran and its allies, as it attempts to establish itself as the main representative of the Palestinian cause.
A Profound Disconnect
Formerly a major player in the Palestinian cause and armed struggle against Israel, the Fatah movement gained recognition for the signing of the Oslo Accords in 1993 and the creation of the Palestinian Authority, which was intended to lead to an independent Palestinian State. Fatah, led by Yasser Arafat at the time, renounced armed struggle and recognized the State of Israel. However, following the assassination of Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin by a far-right Israeli and the collapse of the Oslo Accords, the party’s abandonment of armed struggle has been increasingly criticized by Palestinians. Especially in the absence of genuine Palestinian autonomy, many Palestinians regret the recognition of Israel by Fatah.
In this context, the 2005 election and the continued leadership of Mahmoud Abbas at the head of the Palestinian Authority have gradually eroded the credibility of the movement. “Although it remains Hamas’s main rival, Fatah no longer plays the role of political mobilization it once did due to its association with the Palestinian Authority,” explains Rachad Antonius, an associate professor at the University of Quebec in Montreal (UQAM). “In the absence of free elections, it is difficult to precisely assess its political influence in a context where the population is disillusioned with the role of the Palestinian Authority.”
Nevertheless, it is primarily the lack of a strong reaction from the Palestinian president to the Israeli bombings in Gaza that has provoked the ire of one part of the population. Indeed, Palestinians in the West Bank, who have strong ties to their fellow Palestinians in Gaza, have developed strong resentment against Israel, which has intensified over the years. From the early days of the conflict, they took to the streets to express their support for Gaza. These demonstrations were harshly repressed, both by Israel, which arrested more than 4,000 people, and by the Palestinian Authority. Consequently, the latter was accused of collaboration, especially as dozens of protesters were apprehended by Mahmoud Abbas’s forces. The absence of elections for 15 years has led to strong opposition to the authority of the president, with many Palestinians repeatedly calling for his resignation.
An Increasingly Criticized President
Since most Western countries consider Hamas a terrorist group, the Palestinian Authority has naturally emerged as the only presentable Palestinian interlocutor. The Palestinian president is the only one to meet with foreign leaders and maintain relations with Israel. “Mahmoud Abbas survives politically thanks to the international recognition of the Palestinian Authority he heads,” points out Rachad Antonius. “This means that political contacts, funds, and opportunities to participate in international bodies pass through him. Survival factors come ‘from above,’ not from the social base of Fatah.”
However, deteriorating living conditions for Palestinians and the ongoing expansion of settlements in the West Bank have undermined the authority of the president. The absence of elections for 15 years and numerous corruption scandals have tarnished the image of Fatah and the Palestinian Authority. Israel has contributed to the divisions between Fatah and Hamas since its creation. The policies of right-wing Israeli governments since 1995 and the suicide bombings organized by Hamas until 2005 have not helped Palestinians and Israelis to actively engage in the peace process.
With support from Iran and Qatar, as well as a constant image of “resistance” against Israel, Hamas has seized the opportunity created by the decline of its main rival, despite the fact that its radical Islamist ideology does not enjoy unanimous support among the population, both in Gaza and the West Bank.
Although Mahmoud Abbas has condemned indiscriminate Israeli bombings in the Gaza Strip, he has made controversial statements, asserting that the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) is the “sole legitimate representative of the Palestinian people, renouncing violence and adhering to international legitimacy.” He also stated that “the policies and actions of Hamas do not represent the Palestinian people,” a statement he later withdrew due to the outraged reaction in the West Bank. These statements against Hamas may have been intended to appease international opinion, but they deeply offended some Palestinians.
Hamas, the Palestinians’ Last Representative?
Faced with the near inaction of the Palestinian Authority and Fatah, the islamist Hamas seeks to establish itself as the sole representative of the Palestinian cause. “By taking the initiative to launch a large-scale attack against the Israeli occupier, Hamas will have contributed to the dual goal of earning the respect of the Palestinian population and marginalizing its secular and nationalist adversaries, namely, the Palestinian Authority and Fatah,” says Rachad Antonius.
Some Palestinians support Hamas’s refusal to compromise with Israel and its recent military “successes” in the October 7 operation. In their eyes, this represented a genuine humiliation for the Israeli State, considering that Palestinians had long been relegated to the status of victims.
However, the Islamist party’s ideology is not universally accepted among Palestinians, just as the October 7 attack itself is not universally supported. “There is undeniable support for the ‘will to resist’ expressed by Hamas in the West Bank. However, it is far from proven that the methods and leadership of the group enjoy such support,” Rachad Antonius asserts. “While some of them feel that this was a justified act of revenge, many Palestinians believe it was primarily a war crime. Some also believe it was a serious mistake and that Hamas could have achieved much more significant political gains if it had limited its targets to military ones.”
Although Hamas does not enjoy widespread approval from Palestinians, it can still benefit from the weakening of the Palestinian Authority and Fatah, thus becoming the main player. While the Palestinian question was mainly managed by Arab countries on the international stage, the movement has managed to bring it to the forefront with the support of Iran and Qatar. Faced with Israel’s ongoing repression and attacks by Israeli settlers in the West Bank, Palestinians might eventually consider Hamas, for lack of a “better” option.
