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Fatah convenes landmark conference after years of stagnation
Ramallah, Saturday - The dominant Palestinian faction, Fatah, opened its first major conference in ten years on Thursday, with over 2,500 members gathering to elect its highest decision-making bodies. The event, held amid deep public dissatisfaction, has exposed divisions over leadership, reform, and the future of the Palestinian national movement.
Abbas re-elected as leader despite widespread calls for resignation
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, 90, was reconfirmed as Fatah's leader on Wednesday, despite polls showing 80% of Palestinians want him to step down. Abbas, who has ruled by decree for years, addressed the conference on its opening day, pledging reforms and the first presidential and parliamentary elections in two decades-though he provided no timeline.
"We renew our full commitment to continuing work on implementing all the reform measures we pledged," Abbas stated. "Holding this gathering on our homeland's soil confirms our determination to continue on the democratic path."
The president and the Palestinian Authority (PA), which Fatah dominates, face mounting pressure from the U.S., European Union, and Arab states to enact reforms and restore legitimacy. Critics accuse the leadership of corruption, political stagnation, and failing to advance the Palestinian cause.
Crisis deepens as Gaza war reshapes Palestinian reality
Since Fatah's last conference in 2016, the Palestinian landscape has drastically changed. The Hamas-led attack on Israel in 2023 triggered a devastating war in Gaza, which Abbas described as an "unprecedented humanitarian catastrophe" in his speech. Meanwhile, Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem expand at record rates, displacing Palestinians and undermining the PA's authority.
Compounding the crisis, Israel has withheld tax revenues it collects for the PA-totaling approximately $5 billion-over disputes regarding Palestinian school curricula and payments to families of prisoners or those killed by Israeli forces. The PA now pays civil servants only partial salaries and has cut public services.
Public disillusionment and internal divisions
Palestinian polls reveal deep discontent with Abbas and Fatah, with Hamas gaining more support in recent surveys. Many accuse the PA of cronyism, corruption, and collaborating with Israel through security coordination, which involves sharing intelligence on Palestinian armed groups.
"When we talk about Fatah, we're talking about the backbone of the Palestinian national movement," said political analyst Xavier Abu Eid in Ramallah. "But today, its identity is being questioned. Is Fatah a national liberation movement, or is it a group of bureaucrats working for the PA? Is it about the survival of the PA, or the liberation of Palestine?"
Internal divisions are further exposed by the inclusion of Abbas's eldest son, Yasser Abbas-a businessman-on the ballot for the Fatah central committee. Critics view his candidacy as nepotism, reinforcing perceptions of a leadership disconnected from public sentiment.
Competing visions for Fatah's future
Delegates at the conference, held primarily in Ramallah with smaller groups in Beirut, Cairo, and Gaza, will elect 18 members to the central committee and 80 to the revolutionary council. Key figures vying to succeed Abbas include Jibril Rajoub, the committee's secretary general, and PA Vice-President Hussein al-Sheikh.
Fatah activist Samah al-Rawagh, addressing the conference via video link from Gaza, struck a defiant tone, calling the event a symbol of unity.
"Our message is that Fatah is like the phoenix that never dies," she said. "From the heart of the ashes, it comes back to life anew. Fatah is united, united, united."
Yet many Palestinians remain skeptical. "Everyone knows it's a fix," said an anonymous man in Ramallah's Manara Square. "They serve their own interests, not the people. What's the point of this conference? It's just publicity and it's costing a fortune."
Uncertain path forward
Abbas, a key architect of the 1993 Oslo Accords, originally championed non-violent resistance to establish a Palestinian state in the West Bank and Gaza, with East Jerusalem as its capital. However, his leadership has been overshadowed by stagnation, the collapse of peace talks, and the growing influence of Hamas.
As the conference continues, the question remains whether Fatah can reconcile its revolutionary roots with the realities of governance-or if it will further alienate a public desperate for change.
