Abbas’s son sparks anger within Fatah as reports point to growing political role

Growing anger and internal debate are sweeping through the ranks of the Palestinian Fatah movement following reports that Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas is seeking to promote his son, Yasser Abbas, to play an influential role within the movement’s Central Committee, as the eighth Fatah conference gets under way.

Yasser Abbas is being widely mentioned as a possible candidate for membership of the Central Committee, in a move that has drawn criticism from within Fatah circles, where some see it as an attempt to “inherit political and organisational influence” inside the movement.

Observers believe the eighth Fatah conference could turn into a battleground between rival factions within the movement, amid growing discussion over reshaping power centres in both the Central Committee and the Revolutionary Council, particularly as President Mahmoud Abbas advances in age and questions increase over the post-Abbas era.

Although Yasser Abbas has not officially announced his candidacy, increasing media leaks and reports reflect the level of internal manoeuvring and tensions within the movement during what many describe as a sensitive period.

Reports also suggest that Abbas’s son has stepped up his political activity in recent days and weeks in an effort to secure support from various Fatah bodies for his bid to join the movement’s Central Committee during the eighth conference, which opened on Thursday.

Yasser Abbas is primarily known as a businessman managing companies in construction, tobacco and investment sectors. He has not previously held any formal organisational position within Fatah or the Palestine Liberation Organisation, despite frequently appearing alongside his father at political meetings.