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Abbas’ decision to cut ties with Israel will weaken PA, boost PLO

The Palestinian president's decision to sever relations with Israel means strengthening the larger Palestine Liberation Organization, which represents all Palestinians and is not limited to the occupied territories.
A man enters the headquarters of the Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO), in Ramallah in the occupied West Bank September 10, 2018. REUTERS/Mohamad Torokman - RC14CC09A900

While the long-term ramifications of the Palestinian leadership’s decision to break administrative and security ties with Israel are still unclear, it can only mean the strengthening of the Palestine Liberation Organization at the cost of weakening the local Palestinian government.

Senior Palestinian officials, such as Fatah Secretary General Jibril Rajoub, insist that the decision is strategic and sincere. Yet many are doubting the decision because it seems to come with little planning and almost no details are available. It is being argued that the decision by the Fatah-dominated PLO goes in line with Fatah's practice of making decisions and then making adjustments as they are implemented.

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