Can Abbas survive summer of Palestinian discontent?

Week in Review

Nizar Banat's body carried — Mourners carry the body of human rights activist and critic of the Palestinian Authority Nizar Banat, who died shortly after being arrested the day before, during his funeral in Hebron in the occupied West Bank on June 25, 2021. The death of Banat sparked outrage in the occupied West Bank. — MOSAB SHAWER/AFP via Getty Images

Abbas shaken by backlash at home and abroad

Many in Washington and the region hoped that the Palestinian issue would return to the back burner after the Egyptian-mediated cease-fire between Hamas and Israel on May 20 and promises of reconstruction aid and assistance to Gaza

Well, one month later, it’s probably time to think again.

Let’s start in the West Bank, where popular discontent with President Mahmoud Abbas and the ruling Palestinian Authority (PA) may have reached a tipping point following the death of Nizar Banat in police custody after a brutal beating during an arrest at his home in Hebron.

Can Abbas survive summer of Palestinian discontent?

Following killing of a political dissident, the Palestinian president’s hold on power continues to weaken, while support for Hamas is growing.

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