Less than a year after being tapped for prime minister, the head of the Palestinian government, Mohammad Shtayyeh, who was sworn into office on April 13, 2019, was confronted along with the rest of the globe with an unprecedented crisis. Early evaluation gives Shtayyeh and his team high marks for their performance. The praise has been so overwhelming that it has led some to predict that he can potentially fill the shoes of President Mahmoud Abbas once the current 84-year-old Palestinian leader moves out of the political stage.

As soon as coronavirus cases in Bethlehem were confirmed on March 5, Shtayyeh acted with authority, discipline and care. The French television station France24 called the Palestinian prime minister the “star of the virus crisis,” detailing his actions and quoting praise from international experts. “They took action very rapidly and really took the crisis management function to the highest level,” Gerald Rockenschaub, head of the World Health Organization's Palestinian office, said in referring to what Shtayyeh did in response to the pandemic, according to France24.

Palestinian pollster Khalil Shikaki told Al-Monitor that the Palestinian government and its head have gained in popularity, but added, “This doesn’t mean, however, that his ability to compete for the presidency has necessarily improved.” 

Shikaki, the director of the Palestinian Center for Policy and Survey Research, notes that the Palestinian public differentiates between managing daily issues and political leadership. He said, “In terms of political leadership, Prime Minister Shtayyeh has yet to be tested; therefore, it is too early to determine if his performance in dealing with the effects of the pandemic can be translated to better chances for the presidency.”