Open main menu
Home
Random
Recent changes
Special pages
Community portal
Preferences
About Wikipedia
Disclaimers
Incubator escapee wiki
Search
User menu
Talk
Dark mode
Contributions
Create account
Log in
Editing
Mahmoud Abbas
(section)
Warning:
You are not logged in. Your IP address will be publicly visible if you make any edits. If you
log in
or
create an account
, your edits will be attributed to your username, along with other benefits.
Anti-spam check. Do
not
fill this in!
===Corruption allegations=== Citing the 2012 corruption report by the Coalition for Accountability and Integrity, ''[[Al-Monitor]]'' characterized corruption in the [[Palestinian Authority]] as being "still rampant inside public Palestinian institutions despite the progress during the past year".<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.al-monitor.com/pulse/originals/2013/05/report-corruption-palestine-institutions-gaza.html |title=Report Highlights Corruption In Palestinian Institutions |first=Hazem |last=Balousha |date=6 May 2013 |website=[[Al-Monitor]] |access-date=3 September 2024 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140803222918/http://www.al-monitor.com/pulse/originals/2013/05/report-corruption-palestine-institutions-gaza.html |archive-date=2014-08-03}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2013-04-24 |title=Corruption Report Recommends Holding Officials Accountable for not Implementing Court Decisions |url=https://www.aman-palestine.org/en/activities/566.html?_ri=1 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140803222918/http://www.aman-palestine.org/en/activities/1305.html |archive-date=2014-08-03 |access-date=2024-10-09 |website=Coalition for Accountability and Integrity |language=en}}</ref> In 2003, CBS News reported that [[Yasser Arafat]], Abbas's mentor and predecessor, had diverted nearly $1 billion in public funds to "insure his political survival".<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/arafats-billions/ |title=Arafat's Billions: One Man's Quest To Track Down Unaccounted-For Public Funds |first=Tricia |last=McDermott |date=7 November 2003 |website=CBS News |access-date=3 September 2024}}</ref> In a 2006 report, the [[Congressional Research Service]] characterised the Palestinian public's dissatisfaction with institutional corruption as a factor that contributed to a win by Hamas in the January 2006 parliamentary election. It noted that Fatah leaders had been accused of siphoning funds from ministry budgets, passing out patronage jobs, accepting favors and gifts from suppliers and contractors.<ref>{{cite report |url=https://fas.org/sgp/crs/mideast/RL33269.pdf |title=Palestinian Elections |first=Aaron D. |last=Pina |date=9 February 2006 |publisher=[[Congressional Research Service]], [[The Library of Congress]] |page=2 |access-date=3 September 2024}}</ref> The source for specific allegations against Abbas was one of Arafat's most trusted aides, Mohammed Rashid, accused by the PA of embezzling hundreds of millions of dollars, who threatened to expose corruption scandals in the Palestinian Authority. For many years, Rashid served as Arafat's financial advisor and was given a free hand to handle hundreds of millions of dollars that were poured on the Palestinian Authority and the PLO by the [[United States|US]], the [[European Union|EU]] and [[Arab]] donors. According to Rashid, Abbas's net worth was {{currency|100|USD}} [[million]].<ref>{{cite news |url=http://news.nationalpost.com/2013/04/01/palestinian-authority-wants-ottawas-help-seizing-former-arafat-advisors-canadian-assets/ |title=Palestinian Authority wants Ottawa's help seizing former Arafat advisor's Canadian assets |first=Adrian |last=Humphreys |date=1 April 2013 |newspaper=[[National Post]] |access-date=9 June 2013 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20130624191649/http://news.nationalpost.com/2013/04/01/palestinian-authority-wants-ottawas-help-seizing-former-arafat-advisors-canadian-assets/ |archive-date=24 June 2013}}</ref> On 10 July 2012, Abbas and his sons were attacked, in the [[United States Congress|US Congress]], for their alleged corruption. The debate was entitled ''Chronic Kleptocracy: Corruption Within the Palestinian Political Establishment.''<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.haaretz.com/news/diplomacy-defense/u-s-lawmakers-slam-mahmoud-abbas-for-alleged-corruption-1.450279 |title=U.S. lawmakers slam Mahmoud Abbas for alleged corruption |first=Natasha |last=Mozgovaya |date=11 July 2012 |newspaper=[[Haaretz]] |access-date=3 September 2024}}</ref> In his testimony before the [[House Committee on Foreign Affairs]], Subcommittee on Middle East and South Asia, [[Elliott Abrams]] stated that "Corruption is an insidious destroyer not only of Palestinian public finance but of faith in the entire political system. And it has certainly had an impact on potential donors. I can tell you from my own experience, as an American official seeking financial assistance for the PA from Gulf Arab governments, that I was often told 'why should we give them money when their officials will just steal it?'"<ref>{{cite web |url=https://cdn.cfr.org/sites/default/files/pdf/2012/07/Abrams.HFACTestimony_07092012.pdf |title=Chronic Kleptocracy: Corruption Within the Palestinian Political Establishment |first=Elliot |last=Abrams |date=10 July 2012 |website=[[Council on Foreign Relations]] |access-date=3 September 2024 |page=1}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/CHRG-112hhrg74960/pdf/CHRG-112hhrg74960.pdf |title=Chronic Kleptocracy: Corruption Within The Palestinian Political Establishment: Hearing before the Subcommittee on the Middle East and South Asia of the Committee on Foreign Affairs, House of Representatives, One Hundred Twelfth Congress, Second Session |date=10 July 2012 |website=[[United States House Committee on Foreign Affairs]] |access-date=3 September 2024 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131029003707/http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/CHRG-112hhrg74960/pdf/CHRG-112hhrg74960.pdf |archive-date=29 October 2013}}</ref> The conspicuous wealth of Abbas's own sons, Yasser and Tarek, has been noted in Palestinian society since at least 2009, when [[Reuters]] first published a series of articles tying the sons to several business deals, including a few that had U.S. taxpayer support.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/idUSL9347117 |title=Firms run by President Abbas's sons get US contracts |first=Adam |last=Entous |date=22 April 2009 |website=Reuters |access-date=3 September 2024}}</ref> In a ''[[Foreign Policy]]'' article, author [[Jonathan Schanzer]] suggested four ways in which the Abbas family has become rich. They include monopolies on American-made cigarettes sold in the territories; [[United States Agency for International Development|USAID]] funding; public works projects, such as road and school construction, on behalf of the Palestinian Authority; and special preferences for retail enterprises. It was strongly implied that the sons' lineage was the main credential in receiving these contracts.<ref>{{cite journal |url=https://foreignpolicy.com/2012/06/05/the-brothers-abbas/ |title=The Brothers Abbas: Are the sons of the Palestinian president growing rich off their father's system? |first=Jonathan |last=Schanzer |date=5 June 2012 |journal=Foreign Policy |access-date=3 September 2024}}</ref> One of his sons, Yasser Abbas (but not brother Tarek or father Mahmoud), filed a {{USD|10}} million libel lawsuit in the United States District Court, District of Columbia, in September 2012 against Foreign Policy Group LLC and Schanzer alleging "false and defamatory statements. It seems every statement will be challenged, in a jury trial, if the court accepts jurisdiction."<ref>{{cite web |url=http://legaltimes.typepad.com/files/abbas-complaint.pdf |title=Yasser Abbas v. Foreign Policy Group LLC, Complaint for Defamation, Civil Action No. 12-cv-01565 |website=US District Court, District of Columbia |access-date=3 September 2024}}</ref> Abbas also accused Schanzer of not contacting him for comment and of relying on untrustworthy sources of information. Abbas accused Schanzer of acting with malice and pursuing an agenda against the brothers, even though he also contended that he's a private citizen and not a public figure, so we wouldn't need to prove actual malice to win.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://legaltimes.typepad.com/blt/2012/09/palestinian-presidents-son-sues-magazine-for-libel.html |title=Palestinian President's Son Sues Magazine for Libel |first=Zoe |last=Tillman |date=25 September 2012 |website=The BLT: The Blog of LegalTimes |access-date=3 September 2024}}</ref> Some analysts believed the Abbas family would not proceed with the case as it would allow ''Foreign Policy'' and Schanzer to dig in too deep into the PA's secret finances and records.<ref>{{cite magazine |url=http://www.commentarymagazine.com/2012/09/27/libel-suit-highlights-abbas-corruption/ |title=Libel Suit Highlights Abbas Corruption |first=Jonathon S. |last=Tobin |date=27 September 2012 |magazine=[[Commentary (magazine)|Commentary]] |access-date=9 July 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121204150135/http://www.commentarymagazine.com/2012/09/27/libel-suit-highlights-abbas-corruption/ |archive-date=2012-12-04}}</ref> However, the case proceeded. In September 2013, U.S. District Judge Emmet Sullivan dismissed the suit using D.C.'s anti-[[SLAPP]] measure. Sullivan determined the lawsuit intended to censor, intimidate, and silence critics by burdening them with the cost of a legal defense until they abandoned their criticisms or opposition.<ref name="Civ. Action No. 12-1565 (EGS)">{{cite web |url=https://ecf.dcd.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/show_public_doc?2012cv1565-28 |title=Memorandum Opinion, Civ. Action No. 12-1565 (EGS) |first=Judge Emmet G. |last=Sullivan |date=27 September 2013 |website=US District Court for the District of Columbia |access-date=3 September 2024}}</ref> The decision has been appealed.<ref name="Josh Gerstein">{{cite web |url=http://www.politico.com/blogs/under-the-radar/2013/10/palestinian-leaders-son-appeals-loss-of-foreign-policy-175772.html |title=Palestinian leader's son appeals loss of Foreign Policy libel lawsuit |last=Gerstein |first=Josh |date=23 October 2013 |website=[[Politico]] |access-date=3 September 2024}}</ref> As part of the 2016 [[Panama Papers]] data leak, it was revealed that Abbas's son Tareq Abbas holds {{USD|1}} million in shares of an offshore company associated with the [[Palestinian Authority]].<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.haaretz.com/middle-east-news/1.713347 |title=Panama Papers: Leaks Reveal Abbas' Son's $1m Holding in Company With Ties to Palestinian Authority |first1=Uri |last1=Blau |first2=Daniel |last2=Dolev |date=7 April 2016 |newspaper=Haaretz |access-date=3 September 2024}}</ref> In June 2021, hundreds of Palestinians held protests against the Abbas administration's corruption and brutality in central [[Ramallah]] (including one held at the president's headquarters) after anti-corruption activist [[Nizar Banat]] died in government custody.<ref>{{Cite news |last1=Rasgon |first1=Adam |last2=Kershner |first2=Isabel |date=7 July 2021 |title=Critic's Death Puts Focus on Palestinian Authority's Authoritarianism |language=en-US |work=[[The New York Times]] |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2021/07/07/world/middleeast/Palestinian-Authority-protesters.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.today/20220106025538/https://www.nytimes.com/2021/07/07/world/middleeast/Palestinian-Authority-protesters.html%23commentsContainer |archive-date=6 January 2022 |issn=0362-4331}}</ref> One of the common claims made by detractors against his government is that it works effectively as a subcontractor for the Israeli government; in spite of his strong verbal criticism of the Israeli government, there is widespread disdain for his administration within the Palestinian Authority.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://theintercept.com/2023/09/15/palestinian-authority-mahmoud-abbas-oslo-accords/ |title=Mahmoud Abbas Holocaust Controversy Spotlights Deep Disillusion With Palestinian Authority |first=Alice |last=Speri |date=15 September 2023 |newspaper=[[National Post]] |access-date=3 September 2024}}</ref>
Edit summary
(Briefly describe your changes)
By publishing changes, you agree to the
Terms of Use
, and you irrevocably agree to release your contribution under the
CC BY-SA 4.0 License
and the
GFDL
. You agree that a hyperlink or URL is sufficient attribution under the Creative Commons license.
Cancel
Editing help
(opens in new window)