{"id":664,"date":"2026-05-17T10:11:26","date_gmt":"2026-05-17T10:11:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/arabnewsmonitor.com\/?p=664"},"modified":"2026-05-17T10:11:27","modified_gmt":"2026-05-17T10:11:27","slug":"palestinian-presidents-son-yasser-abbas-elected-to-top-fatah-post","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/arabnewsmonitor.com\/?p=664","title":{"rendered":"Palestinian president\u2019s son Yasser Abbas elected to top Fatah post"},"content":{"rendered":"<div data-tms-ad-status=\"idle\" data-tms-ad-container class=\"o-ad-container o-ad-container--banner-top o-ad-container--with-shimmer o-ad-container--with-background\">\n<div class=\"o-ad-container__content o-ad-container__content--report-enabled\">\n<div class=\"o-ad-container__label m-block-ad__label--report-enabled\">\n                    <span class=\"o-ad-container__label__text\">Advertising<\/span><br \/>\n                                            <button title=\"Report this ad\" class=\"o-ad-container__content__report-link\" data-tms-ad-report><br \/>\n                        <\/button>\n                                    <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"o-ad-sponsoring\" data-tms-ad-type=\"sponsoring\" data-tms-ad-status=\"disabled\">\n<div class=\"o-ad-sponsoring__wrapper\">\n    <\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"t-content t-content--article\" id=\"main-content\">\n<div class=\"t-content__above-sidebar\">\n<h1 class=\"t-content__title a-page-title\">Palestinian president\u2019s son Yasser Abbas elected to top Fatah post<\/h1>\n<div class=\"m-master-tag\">\n<div class=\"a-tag-section\">\n                                    Middle East\n                            <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p class=\"t-content__chapo\">\n                                        Yasser Abbas, the 64-year-old son of ageing Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas, won a seat Sunday on the central committee of the Fatah party, initial results showed. The election extended the family&#8217;s grip on the movement that has dominated the Palestinian Authority (PA) for decades. The PA is under mounting pressure to hold long-delayed presidential and parliamentary elections.                <\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"t-content__with-sidebar\">\n<div class=\"t-content__beside-sidebar\" data-article-content>\n<div class=\"t-content__metadata\">\n<div class=\"t-content__dates\">\n<p class=\"m-pub-dates\"><span class=\"m-pub-dates__date\">Issued on: <time datetime=\"2026-05-17T09:09:05+00:00\">17\/05\/2026 &#8211; 11:09<\/time><\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"a-reading-time\">\n    <span class=\"a-reading-time__icon\" title=\"Reading time\"><\/p>\n<p>    <\/span><br \/>\n    2 min    <span class=\"u-sr-only\">Reading time<\/span>\n<\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"a-share-button\" data-root-share>\n<p>                            <span class=\"a-master-button__label\">Share<\/span><\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"t-content__authors\">\n<div class=\"m-from-author\">\n                    <span class=\"m-from-author__by-label\"><br \/>\n                By:<br \/>\n            <\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"m-author\">\n<div class=\"m-author__name\">\n                                                    <a href=\"\/en\/author\/france-24\/\" title=\"FRANCE 24\" class=\"m-author__name__title\"><br \/>\n                                FRANCE 24<br \/>\n                            <\/a>\n                    <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"t-content__main-media\">\n<figure class=\"m-item-image m-item-image--16x9 m-item-image--has-caption\">\n<p><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"auto\" src=\"https:\/\/s.france24.com\/media\/display\/69db4842-4fa7-11f1-8e94-005056a97e36\/w:1024\/p:16x9\/2026-05-05T122117Z-895383237-RC2X2LA6ELVB-RTRMADP-3-PALESTINIANS-POLITICS-ABBAS-SON.jpg\" srcset=\"https:\/\/s.france24.com\/media\/display\/69db4842-4fa7-11f1-8e94-005056a97e36\/w:388\/p:16x9\/2026-05-05T122117Z-895383237-RC2X2LA6ELVB-RTRMADP-3-PALESTINIANS-POLITICS-ABBAS-SON.jpg 388w,https:\/\/s.france24.com\/media\/display\/69db4842-4fa7-11f1-8e94-005056a97e36\/w:720\/p:16x9\/2026-05-05T122117Z-895383237-RC2X2LA6ELVB-RTRMADP-3-PALESTINIANS-POLITICS-ABBAS-SON.jpg 720w,https:\/\/s.france24.com\/media\/display\/69db4842-4fa7-11f1-8e94-005056a97e36\/w:1024\/p:16x9\/2026-05-05T122117Z-895383237-RC2X2LA6ELVB-RTRMADP-3-PALESTINIANS-POLITICS-ABBAS-SON.jpg 1024w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1076px) 100vw, 1012px\" width=\"1024\" height=\"576\" alt=\"File photo of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas leaving a Ramallah hospital with his son Yasser Abbas taken on May 28, 2018.\" loading=\"eager\" class=\"a-img \"><figcaption class=\"a-figcaption\">\n                <span>File photo of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas leaving a Ramallah hospital with his son Yasser Abbas taken on May 28, 2018.<\/span>                <span>\u00a9 Mohamad Torokman, Reuters<\/span>            <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"t-content__body u-clearfix\">\n<p>The son of Palestinian president <a href=\"https:\/\/www.france24.com\/en\/tag\/mahmoud-abbas\/\" target=\"_self\" class=\"gtm-add-suggested-tag\">Mahmoud Abbas<\/a> won a seat on <a href=\"https:\/\/www.france24.com\/en\/tag\/fatah\/\" target=\"_self\" class=\"gtm-add-suggested-tag\">Fatah<\/a>&#8216;s top decision-making body on Sunday, as initial results emerged from the Palestinian movement&#8217;s first congress in years.<\/p>\n<p>Yasser Abbas, 64, a businessman who spends most of his time in Canada, secured a place on the central committee after being appointed around five years ago as his father&#8217;s &#8220;special representative&#8221;\u00a0\u2013 a role that marked his gradual emergence on the political scene.<\/p>\n<p>Jailed Fatah leader Marwan Barghouti topped the preliminary results, retaining his seat on the committee with the highest number of votes, according to figures seen by AFP.<\/p>\n<p>Jibril Rajoub was reelected as the secretary-general of the committee, retaining the seat he has held since 2017.<\/p>\n<p>Palestinian vice president Hussein Al-Sheikh, Fatah deputy leader Mahmoud Al-Aloul and ex-Palestinian intelligence chief Tawfiq Tirawi also held their seats on the body.<\/p>\n<p>Among the newcomers was Zakaria Zubeidi, 50, a former commander of the Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades\u00a0\u2013 Fatah&#8217;s armed wing in the Jenin refugee camp\u00a0\u2013 who was freed from Israeli prison last year under a prisoner exchange deal with <a href=\"https:\/\/www.france24.com\/en\/tag\/hamas\/\" target=\"_self\" class=\"gtm-add-suggested-tag\">Hamas<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Two women also won seats, including Ramallah governor Laila Ghannam.<\/p>\n<p>The three-day congress, held simultaneously across Ramallah, Gaza, Cairo and Beirut, drew 2,507 voters\u00a0\u2013 a turnout of 94.64 percent, organisers said.<\/p>\n<p>Fifty-nine candidates competed for 18 seats on the central committee, while 450 vied for 80 seats on the revolutionary council, the party&#8217;s parliament.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Counting for the council was still under way.<\/p>\n<p>The congress opened Thursday, with Abbas being reelected as head of the movement.<\/p>\n<p>In his opening address, he vowed to pursue reforms and hold long-delayed presidential and parliamentary elections.<\/p>\n<p>Abbas and the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.france24.com\/en\/tag\/palestinian-authority\/\" target=\"_self\" class=\"gtm-add-suggested-tag\">Palestinian Authority<\/a> are under mounting international pressure to implement reforms and hold elections, amid widespread accusations of corruption and political stagnation, which have eroded its legitimacy among Palestinians.<\/p>\n<p>Fatah has historically been the dominant force within the Palestine Liberation Organisation (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.france24.com\/en\/tag\/plo\/\" target=\"_self\" class=\"gtm-add-suggested-tag\">PLO<\/a>), which groups most Palestinian factions but excludes Islamist movements Hamas and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.france24.com\/en\/tag\/islamic-jihad\/\" target=\"_self\" class=\"gtm-add-suggested-tag\">Islamic Jihad<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>In recent decades, Fatah&#8217;s popularity and influence have dwindled amid internal divisions and growing public frustration over the stagnation of the Israeli-Palestinian peace process.<\/p>\n<p>The sense of disappointment led to a surge in support for rival Hamas, which made huge political gains in the occupied <a href=\"https:\/\/www.france24.com\/en\/tag\/west-bank\/\" target=\"_self\" class=\"gtm-add-suggested-tag\">West Bank<\/a> in 2006 elections that it won handily, before going on to expel Fatah from the Gaza Strip almost entirely after a bout of factional fighting.<\/p>\n<p><em>(FRANCE 24 with AFP)<\/em><\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"o-sidebar\">\n<div class=\"o-sidebar__aside\">\n<div data-tms-ad-status=\"idle\" data-tms-ad-container class=\"o-ad-container o-ad-container--box o-ad-container--with-shimmer\">\n<div class=\"o-ad-container__content o-ad-container__content--report-enabled\">\n<div class=\"o-ad-container__label m-block-ad__label--report-enabled\">\n                    <span class=\"o-ad-container__label__text\">Advertising<\/span><br \/>\n                                            <button title=\"Report this ad\" class=\"o-ad-container__content__report-link\" data-tms-ad-report><br \/>\n                        <\/button>\n                                    <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"t-content__tags t-content__below-sidebar\">\n<div class=\"m-section-title m-section-title--small\">Keywords for this article<\/div>\n<ul class=\"m-tags-list\">\n<li class=\"m-tags-list__tag\">\n                <a href=\"\/en\/tag\/mahmoud-abbas\/\" class=\"a-hot-tag\" title=\"Mahmoud Abbas\">    Mahmoud Abbas<\/a>\n            <\/li>\n<li class=\"m-tags-list__tag\">\n                <a href=\"\/en\/tag\/fatah\/\" class=\"a-hot-tag\" title=\"Fatah\">    Fatah<\/a>\n            <\/li>\n<li class=\"m-tags-list__tag\">\n                <a href=\"\/en\/tag\/palestinian-authority\/\" class=\"a-hot-tag\" title=\"Palestinian Authority\">    Palestinian Authority<\/a>\n            <\/li>\n<li class=\"m-tags-list__tag\">\n                <a href=\"\/en\/tag\/plo\/\" class=\"a-hot-tag\" title=\"PLO\">    PLO<\/a>\n            <\/li>\n<li class=\"m-tags-list__tag\">\n                <a href=\"\/en\/tag\/west-bank\/\" class=\"a-hot-tag\" title=\"West Bank\">    West Bank<\/a>\n            <\/li>\n<\/ul><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Advertising Palestinian president\u2019s son Yasser Abbas elected to top Fatah post Middle East Yasser Abbas,&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":0,"featured_media":665,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-664","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-middle-east"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/arabnewsmonitor.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/664","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/arabnewsmonitor.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/arabnewsmonitor.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/arabnewsmonitor.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=664"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/arabnewsmonitor.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/664\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":666,"href":"https:\/\/arabnewsmonitor.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/664\/revisions\/666"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/arabnewsmonitor.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/665"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/arabnewsmonitor.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=664"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/arabnewsmonitor.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=664"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/arabnewsmonitor.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=664"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}