By Taghreed Saadeh
Multiple sources within Fatah confirm that Yasser Abbas (64), son of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, is holding consultations to run for membership in Fatah’s Central Committee. The movement is expected to convene its eighth conference on May 14 to elect a new leadership, including the Revolutionary Council and the Central Committee.
According to the same sources, Abbas known to the Palestinian public as a wealthy businessman, has held a position within the presidency since his father assumed office. He serves as a representative of the president, accompanying him on key visits and undertaking external missions on behalf of “Abu Mazen.”
Yasser is the second son of the Palestinian president and was named after the late Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat, also known as Abu Ammar. He is a member of Fatah’s eighth conference, listed among members of both the Palestinian National Council and the Central Council affiliated with the movement. The name of Tareq Abbas, the president’s younger son, also appears on the conference list under the “Guardians of Fatah” institution.
Sources suggest that Yasser Abbas’s chances are bolstered by securing support from the Lebanese arena, which has declared him its candidate. While precise figures are unavailable for this constituency, which also includes participants from Syria. Data indicate approximately 1,500 members in the West Bank, 500 in Gaza, and the remainder from external arenas. This points to a considerable support base, particularly as Abbas has expanded consultations with security and organizational bodies in Ramallah in recent days to secure his success, as confirmed by multiple informed sources within the movement.
Although Abbas has not been widely recognized as a field leader within Fatah and has not been closely connected to grassroots members. Many including critics of his father from within the movement believe that anyone who meets the criteria has the right to run, emphasizing that nothing legally prevents his candidacy. They also stress that the movement remains a broad arena for democratic practice.
Fatah’s internal regulations stipulate that all members of the general conference are eligible to run for the Revolutionary Council or the Central Committee.
In this context, a precedent from 2014 is often recalled, when Tareq Abbas assumed the chairmanship of the Am’ari Youth Center’s board. He succeeded Fatah figure Jihad Tamleh after a new administrative body was announced by acclamation in January 2014. In April of the same year, Abbas stated that his goal was to advance the club athletically and develop its infrastructure, including establishing a football academy and teams for swimming and squash, stressing that he had no political ambitions through that role.
In March 2015, elections were held for the Am’ari Youth Center, where his rival Tamleh won a sweeping victory within the new administrative body, with broad participation. This indicates that being the president’s son does not guarantee electoral success, and that the process takes place in a genuinely democratic atmosphere, one of the movement’s defining features.
A senior figure within the movement, speaking on condition of anonymity, indicated that historical leaders are working to form blocs capable of influencing the course of the elections, with some attempting to block Yasser Abbas’s path to victory. He described these as “legitimate battles within any organization.” In remarks to Zaytoun News, he added that these figures possess significant influence and the ability to shape outcomes.
As preparations intensify, the city of Ramallah is receiving Fatah guests from abroad, including invitees attending the opening of the eighth conference from Arab, European, and international contexts, as well as veteran party leaders and conference members arriving from external arenas to participate in electing new leadership.
These elections are expected to bring many surprises, as was the case during the seventh conference, which saw the departure of several prominent historical figures, including the late Ahmed Qurei, who was among the key organizers of that confrence and was widely regarded as the third-ranking figure in Fatah after Abu Ammar and Abu Mazen. Indeed, life offers many lessons.
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