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Abbas picks Fatah heavyweight Shtayyeh to lead government

President Mahmoud Abbas appointed Mohammad Shtayyeh, a veteran politician and member of the Fatah Central Committee, as prime minister, placing on his shoulders the heavy burden of forming a government that pleases all Palestinians.
Senior Fatah official Mohammad Shtayyeh gestures during a Palestinian leadership meeting in Ramallah, in the Israeli-occupied West Bank February 20, 2019. Picture taken February 20, 2019. REUTERS/Mohamad Torokman - RC1E0018C6D0

Palestine's new prime minister, Mohammad Shtayyeh, has an impressive background, and he will need all of his experience to succeed at the very challenging position he was entrusted with March 10 by Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas.

When the Madrid Peace Conference was about to be launched in 1991, the Palestinian leadership looked for a person who could head a high-level team to ensure everything was prepared and there were no political traps being placed for the Palestinian delegation.

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