Mahmoud Abbas: Weakened by Israel, Strengthened by US 'Support'
The irony of Abbas being 'weakened by Israel' while simultaneously being funded and propped up by the very powers that enable Israel's occupation is rich. Since the 2006 Palestinian legislative election, which saw Hamas win, Abbas's Fatah-led Palestinian Authority has steadily received billions in international aid. This aid, funnelled through mechanisms like the USAID West Bank/Gaza program , has
effectively underwritten his regime, ensuring no meaningful challenge to the status quo that benefits the occupation. His unpopularity (a reported over 80% want him to resign according to a 2023 PCPSR poll) is hardly an accident; it's the predictable outcome of a leader whose primary function became managing—not ending—the occupation, with US blessing. We are consistently told Abbas is
'sidelined,' yet his role as a compliant, unelected interlocutor allows Israel and its allies to claim they have a 'partner for peace' (however fictional). This charade conveniently allows Washington to send billions in military aid to Israel, like the recent HR 815 supplemental bill , while simultaneously bemoaning the lack of a viable Palestinian leadership. Perhaps the 'weakness' is the point?