Political leadership in Palestine has been anemic for many years. The Palestinian Authority (under the PLO) has become so corrupt, ineffective, and incompetent that most Palestinians have lost faith in it. Some argue the Abraham Accords would not have taken place with such enthusiastic participation by several Arab countries under different Palestinian circumstances. Hamas, on the other hand, while seen by many Palestinians as the only remaining response to Israeli oppression, has no world credibility and is dismissed as a terrorist organization by most Western countries.
Where do the Palestinians go from here – along with their hopes for peace, dignity, and liberty? What prospects are there for changes in leadership that can provide a path forward to Palestinian empowerment? When will the Palestinians offer a compelling vision for universal rights -- dignity, freedom, and security -- for everyone living between the river and the sea?
About Khaled Elgindy
Khaled Elgindy is a senior fellow at the Middle East Institute where he also directs MEI’s Program on Palestine and Israeli-Palestinian Affairs.
He is the author of the newly-released book, Blind Spot: America and the Palestinians, from Balfour to Trump, published by Brookings Institution Press in April 2019. Elgindy previously served as a fellow in the Foreign Policy program at the Brookings Institution from 2010 through 2018. Prior to arriving at Brookings, he served as an adviser to the Palestinian leadership in Ramallah on permanent status negotiations with Israel from 2004 to 2009, and was a key participant in the Annapolis negotiations of 2007-08. Elgindy is also an adjunct instructor in Arab Studies at Georgetown University.
Khaled’s writings have a appeared in wide range of publications, including The Christian Science Monitor, CNN.com, Foreign Affairs, Foreign Policy, The Los Angeles Times, The National Interest, The Washington Quarterly, and others. He is frequently quoted in The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Los Angeles Times, The Hill, Politico, and other print media, and is a regular commentator on TV and radio, including Aljazeera, BBC, CNN, Fox News, MSNBC, NPR, PBS Newshour and others.