Poised for a Comeback, Palestine’s Dahlan Has ‘Power, Not Popularity’

When a Ramallah court cleared Palestinian politician Mohammed Dahlan of corruption charges in April this year, Sevag Torossian, one among Dahlan’s legal team, hailed the court’s decision as a “great victory for the political future of Palestine”.

For ardent opponents of the current Palestinian Authority who would welcome a change in leadership, Dahlan is unpopular as a candidate to replace Abbas. He is seen not so much an alternative to the Abbas presidency, but rather as a disappointing continuation of it.

“The way I see it,” says Dr Sattar Kassem, a professor of political science at An-Najah University Nablus, who also ran in Palestine’s last presidential elections as an independent candidate, “There is no difference between Abu Mazen and Mohammad Dahlan. If Dahlan takes over Fatah, he will fight with Hamas and coordinate with the Israelis.”

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Dr Kassem’s assessment is shared by Grant Rumley, a Palestinian political analyst based in Washington, who estimates Dahlan would “keep things quiet”. For Palestinians hoping that new leadership might come with a new political trajectory, Dahlan offers little hope. “He’s going to coordinate with the Israelis,” suggests Rumley, “he’s going to coordinate with the Americans,” adding, “with all the other headaches in the Middle East, the US likely just wants this one to stay quiet, which is why someone like Dahlan might be appealing”.

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