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Muhammad Ibrahim Shtayyeh

Like the Ba'ath Party in Iraq, Hamas had for years been a dominant political force in Gazan society, providing public services and maintaining law and order pre-Oct. 7. Separating professionals from militants and then using their experience, expertise and local contacts will be key to stabilizing postwar Gaza. The local population will be more likely to cooperate with them than with foreign forces being "parachuted in." The PA is keen to avoid the perception of reclaiming Gaza by riding on the bloodshed. In a recent interview, Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammad Shtayyeh said he would be open to ruling Gaza alongside Hamas as a "junior partner," prompting Netanyahu to claim that he is vindicated in his opposition to allowing the PA to control the territory after the war.

Palestinian Prime Minister Muhammad Shtayyeh announced Monday 26 February 2024 the submission of his government’s resignation to President Mahmoud Abbas, in view of the political, security and economic developments related to the situation in the Gaza Strip and the unprecedented escalation in the West Bank. Shtayyeh delivered his speech during the weekly government session in the city of Ramallah in the occupied West Bank, where he stressed that his government was able to achieve a balance between the needs of the Palestinian people and confronting the political challenges and changes in the region.

According to Former Israeli Intelligence Official and regional analyst Avi Melamed, while the resignation of the PA government is capturing international headlines, the government itself was meaningless vis-à-vis the local, strategic partner that will be required for governing post-war Gaza.

Melamed shared: “The resignation of Palestinian Authority Prime Minister Mohammed Shtayyeh and his government today, while it has captured international headlines and even hints towards the development of a technocratic government, still won’t immediately bring about the reform and the revitalization at the helm of the Palestinian National Movement that the U.S. and other partners have pressured PA President Abbas for as the world prepares for Gaza’s post-war reconstruction and governance.

"Ultimately, given Hamas’s ability to dictate the trajectory of the Palestinian struggle completely independent of the Ramallah-based Palestinian Authority, the government itself was meaningless vis-à-vis the local, strategic partner that will be required for governing post-war Gaza.

"The Palestinian inner political struggle between Abbas’ Fatah and those who support Hamas, is a deep-rooted battle that will ultimately need to be overcome lest history repeat itself in Gaza where the previous Palestinian Authority rule was violently removed by Hamas less than two years after its establishment of sovereignty. At the core of Israel’s diplomatic mission in this extremely complex war, is the need to change the trajectory of violence — both for Israelis and Palestinians — and to ensure that history ceases to repeat itself in endless cycles of violence.”

Palestinian Prime Minister Muhammad Shtayyeh announced Monday 26 February 2024 that he submitted his government's resignation to Abbas last Tuesday, and today he confirmed its official submission in writing. He explained that the next stage requires the formation of a new government that takes into account the current challenges caused by the Israeli aggression on the Gaza Strip, with a focus on the issue of national unity and strengthening national authority over the entire territory of Palestine .

In the context of announcing the resignation decision, Shtayyeh indicated that this decision also comes in light of the fierce and unprecedented attacks on the Palestinian people and their cause, and attempts at genocide , forced displacement, and starvation in the Gaza Strip. Shtayyeh stressed that the decision to resign resulted from the escalation of colonial practices and terrorism by Israeli settlers, the repeated invasions in Jerusalem and the West Bank, including camps, villages and cities, and the intensification of Israel ’s unprecedented financial restrictions on the Palestinian Authority.

The decision was attributed to attempts to liquidate the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees ( UNRWA ), repudiate all signed agreements, gradually annex the Palestinian territories, and seek to reduce the role of the Palestinian Authority to a security administrative authority with no political content.

Shtayyeh concluded by emphasizing that the government performed excellently in difficult circumstances, and confronted the battles imposed on it in light of the Israeli aggression on the Gaza Strip. Shtayyeh stressed, saying: “We will remain in confrontation with the occupation, and the National Authority will continue to struggle to embody the state on the lands of Palestine, against their (the Israelis’) will.”

Recently, the West Bank has witnessed an escalating wave of tension and field confrontations between Palestinians and the Israeli army, including raids and arrests of Palestinians, in light of the devastating war launched by Israel on the Gaza Strip. Abbas, who heads the Fatah movement , has been subjected to sharp criticism for his "inability" to deal with the ongoing war in the Gaza Strip and the ongoing escalation in the occupied West Bank.

Palestinian Minister of Social Development, Ahmed Majdalani, commented on the resignation of the Palestinian government, represented by its Prime Minister, Muhammad Shtayyeh. Majdalani said in an interview with Sputnik that the government submitted its resignation 5 years after its formation and in light of the important changes that occurred in the situation during the past few months, specifically the genocidal war in Gaza. He added, "This government faced many difficulties and challenges, especially with the continuation of the Israeli war in Gaza, the West Bank, and East Jerusalem, which led to the emergence of an international trend to support the establishment of a single national authority over all Palestinian lands in Gaza, the West Bank, and Jerusalem."

He explained, "This trend and the unity of the international position focused on the necessity of opening a new political path to end the Israeli occupation of Palestine and establish the independent state." Majdalani considered that "this new phase that the international community as well as the Arab countries are talking about requires the presence of a new Palestinian government with different components."

He stressed that "the current government is a partisan coalition government with some independents, and the new situation, in light of recent developments, requires a national consensus government that includes all national Palestinian competencies that can manage the situation in the Gaza Strip, the West Bank, and Jerusalem during a transitional phase in which a specific program is implemented." He continued: "This program is focused on unifying all Palestinian institutions, removing all traces of the division that lasted for 16 years, and calling for an international conference for the reconstruction of the Gaza Strip from all Arab international factions, as well as preparing for general presidential and legislative elections within a period not exceeding two years."

Majdalani believes that a competent government can overcome any controversial issue surrounding the situation that existed in the Gaza Strip, and overcome the state of Palestinian division. He pointed out that the government submitting its resignation and placing it at the disposal of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas will enable him to deal with the requirements and necessities of the current situation, and in a way that enables the opening of a new political horizon and political path that restores respect to the Palestinian issue and the priority of resolving it.

Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas, who is supposed to assign in the coming days a Palestinian figure to form a government, will most likely be made up of experts and not politicians. According to information in the Palestinian Authority, Abbas is seeking to appoint Muhammad Mustafa, head of the Investment Fund, as the successor to Shtayyeh, especially since the man is considered a well-known economic figure, which is what the United States and its supporters want.

There was talk of an American request from the authority regarding the necessity of carrying out political, economic and security reforms related to the day following the war on Gaza. It seems that this request has become linked to support for the Palestinians, not only Western but also Arab, but the name of the candidate Muhammad Mustafa seems to still be a matter of dispute. With other names being circulated, such as Salam Fayyad and Nasser Al-Qudwa , who are considered to be in the Muhammad Dahlan camp.

Ahmed Rafiq Awad, professor of media at Al-Quds University, told Al-Alam Channel: “It can be said that the change of government came for two reasons. The first reason is that these are national entitlements and the authority had spoken to the donors a year ago, meaning going for legal and security reforms and others. There is also international pressure on Authority for the sake of what is called modernization, revival, or reform.” What comes next in the Palestinian territories remains dependent on the outcome of the war in the Gaza Strip. Until the war ends, the scenarios remain open to all possibilities, and whoever sees that the newspapers have dried up and that the pens have been lifted remains narrow-sighted.

Professor of Political Science at Hebron University, Dr. Bilal Al-Shobaki, says that talk about changing the government at the present time “is not far from what is happening in the Gaza Strip, and may come in harmony or as a result of arrangements at the internal and regional Palestinian level,” pointing to internal Palestinian meetings that preceded the upcoming Moscow meeting in February 29 of this year.

Al-Shoubaki does not rule out discussions with international powers to arrange a new government, which may be devoid of political character, “given that there is a new challenge facing the Palestinians in managing internal affairs in daily issues in the post-war period on Gaza, whether with regard to the issue of reconstruction or Securing the life of the Palestinian citizen, including health, education, and the like.”

The Palestinian analyst asks, “Does changing the government solve the existing dilemmas?”, followed by the answer that, “The impact of the change will not be noticeable or significant, because any government change requires changing the Palestinian political path and action, and this requires activating the Palestine Liberation Organization and integrating the factions that did not participate in it.”

Al-Shoubaki adds that “the value of any government that is formed is linked to its political reference, and not to itself,” ruling out any fundamental differences between the resigned government and the next one, unless there are fundamental changes at the level of the political program and political vision. He stressed that "the main challenge now for the Palestinians is not managing the daily life of the citizen as much as it is confronting a whole project from the right-wing Israeli government, which targets not only the Gaza Strip, but also all of the Palestinians and their institutions, which the Palestinians see as the seed of a state, and the occupation sees as nothing more than a municipality." big".

Ayman Youssef, professor of political science at the Arab American University, believes that there are “several contexts for Shtayyeh’s resignation, the first of which is the continuation of the aggression against the Gaza Strip and the inability of the Palestinians to do anything.” He pointed to "many initiatives, pressures, and scenarios being presented on the scene, including Netanyahu's post-war plan. Shtayyeh's resignation was a pre-emptive strike by President Abu Mazen to interact with regional contexts and international initiatives." According to the Palestinian analyst, “The Palestinian situation has become calcified from within, and it needs a new vision to deal directly with the changes, developments, and indicators created by the Gaza battle.”

He added, "The Shtayyeh government was a politicized government, a government of crises, and went through several problems. It clearly represented the Fatah movement, and as a result of the regional pressures exerted and internal and external changes, the president's desire was to change it." He suggested that the president would tend to form a government of technocrats from independent professionals “so that it is not criticized for representing the Fatah movement and some factions at the expense of others,” and he spoke about “pressure exerted on the president from neighboring countries, especially Egypt, Jordan, and Qatar, to deal positively with reform initiatives and the reconstruction of the Gaza Strip.”

“Changing the political system completely is a national demand agreed upon by the factions, based on almost popular consensus, and not forming a government in the West Bank that is politically linked to the ruling authority and distances itself from a state of national unity,” according to political analyst Samer Anabtawi.

Anabtawi added, "The dismissal of the government comes in response to Western, foreign, European and American pressure, with the aim of bringing about political changes within the Western point of view, and not to appease the Palestinian people's demand for political change." He said, "The change taking place comes within talk about the day after the war, and America's attempt to show as if there is a tendency to form a government that will lead to a Palestinian state, even though that is a speck of ash in the eyes and a deception against the Palestinian people and the entire international community."

He continued, "What is required is not to change governments, but rather to form a national unity government, especially in light of the war of genocide that the Palestinian people are exposed to and the end to their cause, which includes everyone and on the basis of struggle and struggle, which will draw up the next policy for the Palestinian future, and pave the way for holding presidential and legislative elections and for the PLO, and re-establishing Building it on militant and national foundations.”

Hence, Anabtawi believes that “the next government will be a technocratic government, which is not suitable for a people living in a stage of national liberation, which requires the presence of national trends,” considering that the American administration is trying to move away from the national framework and the right to self-determination to internal administrative issues.

The Palestinian politician and independent representative in the dissolved Legislative Council, Hassan Khraisha, believes that “Shtayyeh’s resignation is an expression of inability and failure, and then a response to the American trend that creates renewed authority.” He said, "Preoccupying people with the government buys time for the Israelis to engage in more war of extermination, and is a distraction for the Palestinian people, as if we are living in a normal situation."

It is unlikely that the next government will be the product of a national dialogue, “and the evidence is that the president anticipated the Moscow dialogues to change the government,” and he continued that the resignation also comes “in preparation for the next stage, given that there are American promises that the authority will be responsible for the Gaza Strip and the West Bank, at a time when the Israelis announce They do not want Hamas or Fatah, but rather an Israeli civil administration for the Strip.”

Kreisha believes that the next prime minister will likely be Dr. Muhammad Mustafa, the president’s economic advisor and head of the Palestine Investment Fund affiliated with the Liberation Organization , explaining that he “has long-standing relations” and that he is “an alternative to Salam Fayyad, whom the Americans are pressing to assign to form the government.”

An article on the American Fox website commented on the reason for the dissolution of the Palestinian Authority government and the resignation of its Prime Minister, Muhammad Shtayyeh, indicating that Shtayyeh’s decision may not have much weight in the face of a “fossilized organization,” led by 88-year-old President Mahmoud Abbas , which faces a mysterious future after the war in Gaza .

The author of the article, Elaine Iwanes, stated that the strength and legitimacy of the Palestinian Authority in the eyes of the Palestinians has weakened due to a combination of corrupt leadership, Israeli aggression, expansionist policies, and the power struggle between the Palestinian Authority and Hamas . She added that Shtayyeh's resignation appears to be a step towards responding to international pressure, and as he told his government on Monday that "the next stage and its challenges require new governmental and political arrangements that take into account the new reality in the Gaza Strip... and the urgent need for a Palestinian (national) consensus," and the expansion of (the Palestinian Authority) Over the entire territory of Palestine, according to the British Financial Times.

The author believes that his resignation will not necessarily lead to the changes desired by external and internal stakeholders, and there is no indication when the current Israeli war in Gaza will end, or what will happen to those who live there when it ends.

While Shtayyeh's resignation may signal an acknowledgment that Palestinian representation must change, it likely does not mean any fundamental change in the short term, either for the Palestinian Authority or for the Palestinian people in general. The writer continued that it is possible, then, that Shtayyeh’s resignation came at the request of Abbas so that he could at least appear responsive to the demand for change that comes from several fronts, internally and externally.

It is also worth noting that the resignation comes ahead of planned negotiations to form a national unity government between Fatah and Hamas this week in Moscow. Under these circumstances, as the author says, his resignation can be read as a gesture to the Hamas leadership, but “the resignation of the Shtayyeh government has no meaning unless it comes in the context of the national consensus on the arrangements for the next stage,” as Sami Abu Zuhri, a leader in Hamas, told Reuters. Monday.

The article pointed out what John Alterman, director of the Middle East Program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, told Vox, “The issue was and continues to be Abbas, not Shtayyeh.” Even if the Palestinian Authority forms a new technocratic government, as the United States and Arab countries want, “most of the bureaucrats will remain as they are.”

The article concluded that although the United States and other external stakeholders hope that the dissolution of the Palestinian Authority government will provide the change they hope for for future governance of the Palestinian territories, many of the major obstacles go beyond the internal politics of the Palestinian Authority, not the least of which is Israel’s opposition to PA intervention in a scenario. After the war. Arab countries that can finance the reconstruction of Gaza will not do so without a clear path towards establishing a future Palestinian state.

Muhammad Ibrahim Shtayyeh, called Abu Ibrahim, is a political and economic Palestinian. He was elected as a member of the Central Committee of the Fatah Movement in 2009 and was re-elected in the Seventh Congress in 2016. He also served as Minister of Public Works and Housing, and Minister of the Palestinian Economic Council for Development and Reconstruction. He holds a doctorate in economic development from the University of Sussex in Britain. He also worked as a professor and dean at Birzeit University.

On 10 March 2019, he was appointed to head the new government, as the government of Rami Hamdallah had submitted its resignation to the president Mahmoud Abbas 40 days earlier.

A Palestinian politician, economist, and academic, he is a member of the Central Committee of the Fatah movement. He holds a doctorate in economic development. He held several ministerial positions and headed “PECDAR.” He also worked as dean at Birzeit University, and a professor there and at other universities. He also served as chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Arab American University. Membership in the boards of trustees of Al-Quds, Al-Najah and Al-Istiqlal universities. He has many books on economics and politics.

Shtayyeh was born 17 January 1958 in Nablus, studied in its schools, and obtained a bachelor’s degree in economics and public administration from Birzeit University in 1981, then a master’s and doctorate in development studies from the British University of Sussex in 1985 and 1989. After graduating, he worked as an editor in Al-Shaab newspaper, then a professor and dean at Birzeit University. During this period, he participated as a member of the PLO delegation to the Madrid negotiations, the Washington discussions, and the economic negotiations with Israel.

Shtayyeh also participated in many politically and developmentally important initiatives, decisions and positions, including his work as Minister of Public Works and Housing and President of the Palestinian Economic Council for Development and Reconstruction “PECDAR”, where he was assigned many development programs and reconstruction programs for Palestine.

Dr. Shtayyeh has extensive experience in international and diplomatic work, as he headed the Palestinian delegation to the multilateral negotiations related to economic and regional cooperation, which address the issues of trade, finance, infrastructure, and tourism in the Middle East region. He also recently chaired the meetings of the Economic and Social Conference of the Group of 77 and China in 2019. .

Shtayyeh published a large collection of economic, developmental, and political books and studies, the most recent of which were: Palestine from a Development Perspective, The Encyclopedia of Palestinian Terms, A Brief History of Palestine, and The Erosion of the Two-State Solution, and he has one collection of short stories entitled A Crown of Thorns.

Work Experience

Dr. Muhammad Shtayyeh worked in many politically and developmentally important initiatives, decisions, and positions, including the work of Dr. Shtayyeh was Minister of Public Works and Housing and Chairman of the Palestinian Economic Council for Development and Reconstruction. Thus, most of the development programs and reconstruction programs for Palestine were entrusted to him. He is a founding member of the Palestinian Development Fund and the Palestinian Housing Council. He is a member of the Palestinian delegation to the Madrid negotiations, the Washington discussions, and the economic negotiations with Israel. He is a member of the Interim Committee. To coordinate aid to the Palestinian people and the advisory group of donor countries. As Governor of Palestine at the Islamic Development Bank, he supervised the financing of thousands of development and economic projects.

Among his other political activities is that he headed the Palestinian delegation to the multilateral negotiations related to regional economic cooperation (REDWG), which address issues of trade, finance, infrastructure, and tourism in the Middle East region. In addition, Dr. Muhammad Shtayyeh in the negotiations that took place with Israel regarding the legislative elections in Palestine in his capacity as Secretary General of the Palestinian Elections Commission, which supervised the presidential and legislative elections that took place in January 1996. He was a member of the final negotiating delegationBut he resigned on 11/5/2013.

Ther was also the work of Dr. Shtayyeh is an editor at Al-Shaab newspaper in Jerusalem.

In March 2002, Dr. Muhammad Shtayyeh established the “Club Monaco”, which is headed by Prince René and became a member of it. This informal club includes individuals and figures with political weight in the world, who met in search of new ways to promote peace and stability among the peoples of the region. The club believes that the positive development of the political situation and economic relations among the nations of the Eastern Mediterranean and finding a just solution to the Palestinian-Israeli conflict are matters that contribute to the restoration of peace. And by virtue of his position as governor on the Board of Trustees of the Arab Planning Institute / Kuwait, he has contributed to developing development and training visions for many Arab countries that benefit from the programs The Institute.It also participated in the periodic meetings of the International Council of Elders, which was chaired by Nelson Mandela.

In December 2002, Dr. Muhammad Shtayyeh is a member of the Global Creativity Foundation, which focuses on global cooperation through scientific economic cooperation. Most of the members of this institution are Nobel Prize laureates.

• 2005-2007 Minister of Public Works and Housing
• 2006 GovernorIslamic Development Bank for Palestine
• 2008-2009 Minister of Public Works and Housing
• 2009 Member of the Fatah Central Committee
• 2014 Member of the Palestinian Central Council
• 2016 Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Research Center MTF.
• March 10, 2019, he was assigned to form the eighteenth Palestinian government.
• April 13, 2019, he was sworn in as Prime Minister of the Government of the Eighteenth State of Palestine.

Shtayyeh’s experience in Palestinian-Israeli negotiations spans two decades beginning with the 1991 Madrid Talks in which he headed the advance team to establish the parameters for negotiations with Israeli counterparts. Dr. Shtayyeh has been a member of the Palestinian delegation during the Washington Talks, the talks on the interim agreements, and all final status negotiations including the most recent exploratory talks initiated by the Quartet and hosted by King Abdullah of Jordan which concluded in January 2012. Dr. Shtayyeh has also participated in the Ad Hoc Liaison Committee to coordinate donor support for Palestine and is the head of the delegation for multilateral talks with the Regional Economic Development Working Group concerned with problem-solving regional trade, finance and infrastructure issues. As Secretary-General of the Palestinian Central Elections Commission, Dr. Shtayyeh concluded an agreement with Israel concerning cooperation with the conduct of Palestinian presidential and legislative elections. Dr. Shtayyeh continues to act as a senior advisor to President Mahmoud Abbas on negotiations with Israel.

Professional Experience

Dr. Shtayyeh began his professional career as a professor then dean of Birzeit University. He left academia to put to practical use his training and to see Palestinians emerge from occupation to self-determination and statehood. In 1993, after the conclusion of the Declaration of Principles between the PLO and Israel, Dr. Shtayyeh took over the financial management of the Palestinian Economic Council for Development and Reconstruction—PECDAR which was established in order to develop policies toward and coordinate national projects in furtherance of Palestinian statehood. As Finance Director, Dr. Shtayyeh was responsible for management of the investment fund and implementation, allocation and monitoring of all projects.

In recognition of his work, in 1996, Dr. Shtayyeh was appointed Minister of PECDAR. In order to build and develop the necessary local management and administrative capacity to take on the large-scale infrastructure and investment projects, during his tenure at PECDAR, Dr. Shtayyeh founded the National Institute for Information Technology and the National Institute for Administration. Dr. Shtayyeh has also headed the Ministry of Public Works and Housing from 2005-2006 and from 2008-2010, and upon request of the President, temporarily headed the ministries of Social Affairs and Labor. He is founder of the Palestinian think tank Institute for Regional Studies and the Women’s Fund for Microcredit.

• Palestinian Economic Council for Research and Development—PECDAR
• Minister, 1996 to 2024: Management of a public investment fund worth over $1.6 billion and implementation and monitoring all national projects for Palestine funded by international Donors. Supervising technical assistance and capacity building for Palestinian ministries and institutions, as well as providing policy recommendations on economic and development issues to the president.
• Administration and Finance Director, 1994-1996. Maintained donor databases and provided financing for development projects funded by PECDAR; monitored and reported on all project allocations and utilizations; and established transparent and sound financial management and reporting systems recognized by international partners and donors.
• Islamic Bank - Palestine Governor, 2005 to Present: establishment of priorities for assistance to Palestine; negotiation of annual aid to be provided for Palestine projects; and participation in annual meetings including delivering annual speech setting out guidelines and priorities for development funding in Palestine and the Middle East region.
• Ministry of Public Works and Housing, Palestinian National Authority
• Minister, 2005-2006 and 2008-2010. Established priorities for the establishment of new towns in Palestine as well as expansion of existing towns and villages; established institutions for housing mortgages; developed a national strategy for housing and a master plan for road networks; and oversaw the implementation of plans for road, water, and sewage networks. During his term in office, the Ministry received praise from donor countries including USAID. For adopting sound procurement procedures.
• Central Elections Commission, Palestinian National Authority
• Secretary-General, 1995-1998. Negotiated with Israeli counterparts on logistics and conduct of Palestinian elections; Supervised the first Palestinian national elections for the Palestinian Legislative Council as well as for the Presidency; and organized and coordinated logistics for the monitoring of elections by international election observers.
• Birzeit University, Birzeit, Palestine - Dean of Student Affairs, 1991-1993. Managed university affairs as a member of the university council; introduced election debates as a part of student election process; established guidelines and verification systems for need-based financial aid disbursements.
• Professor of Economic Development, 1989-1991. Lectured and instructed on the following courses: Economic Development Theory, Macro and Micro Economics, Arab Economic Development, Palestinian Economy, and Gender and Development.

Education

• 1985-1989, PhD in Development Studies from the Institute of Development Studies at University of Sussex, Brighton, Britain. PhD, "The Transformation of West Bank Palestinian Peasant Economy and Social Relations under Israeli Occupation (1967-1987)".
• 1983, Diploma in Development Studies from the Institute of Development Studies at University of Sussex, Brighton, Britain.
• 1976-1981, Bachelor of Economics and Business Administration from Birzeit University.