Why was Majed Faraj promoted?

The head of the Palestinian Intelligence is now a minister with no time limit to his position.

from my Al-Monitor Palestine newsletter

A Palestinian presidential decree signed on Jan. 10, 2023, that included the promotion of the chief of intelligence to the level of a minister and the cancellation of a term limit on the post seems to be a direct response to the secretary general of the PLO’s Executive Committee, Hussein el-Sheikh.

Majed Faraj, who has held the highest position in the Palestinian intelligence services since 2009, has often been mentioned as a possible successor to the 88-year-old Abbas. While the public only learned about this decree this week after it was published in the official gazette, the date of its signing is significant. Less than two weeks prior, on Dec. 28, a secret recording that included Sheikh harshly criticizing the Palestinian leader was leaked on the Hamas-affiliated website al-Shahab. The decree maintains that any decision to appoint or fire the top intelligence officer is exclusively that of the president of the Palestinian National Authority, and it states clearly that there is no age limitation or term limit for the appointment.

Despite pundits saying that the decree is a demotion of sorts for Sheikh, Abbas has not shown any public opposition to him. Both Faraj and Sheikh were dispatched to attend the Aqaba and Sharm el-Sheikh summits. Sheikh is regularly seen accompanying Abbas.

While Faraj and Sheikh are always appearing side by side with the Palestinian president, they are quite different personalities. Faraj, who comes from a refugee family and was born in the Dheisheh refugee camp, rarely speaks to the media and keeps a low profile. Sheikh, meanwhile, comes from a wealthy family in the Ramallah area and is in the limelight daily, meeting with foreign officials, regularly posting on his Twitter account, and frequently commenting on local and regional issues. Politically it appears that Faraj has much stronger connections to the Fatah grassroots leadership and is said to be personally behind the appointments of local Fatah leaders throughout the Palestinian areas. Faraj is more connected to the international (especially American) intelligence services, while Sheikh controls the profile of relations with the Israelis.

Pundits and media figures speculate that Abbas’ move is based on the divide and rule principle, keeping all leading contenders to his succession unable to become too strong and thus ensuring their continued loyalty to him.

While the attention has been focused on Sheikh and Faraj, a second level of leadership is also poised to claim the No. 1 role or to be among the top contenders for the expected distribution of the many positions that Abbas currently holds.

Abbas has several official roles. He is the president of Palestine, chairman of the PLO’s Executive Committee, leader of the Fatah movement, and commander in chief. The new decree restricts the appointment and removal of the director of the General Intelligence Service to the Palestinian president.

Among the top contenders to succeed the president is Mahmoud Al Alloul, a Nablus-based Fatah leader and currently the deputy to Abbas as head of the Fatah movement. Another is Jibril Rajoub, secretary of the Fatah movement and head of the Palestinian Football Association. Also in contention, although currently not in a position to be able to take over any leadership post, is Marwan Barghouti, who is serving a life term in an Israeli jail and is regularly chosen in polls as the most popular Palestinian leader. He is a member of the powerful Fatah Central Committee and has in the past nominated himself from jail for the office of presidency but then withdrawn it in favor of Abbas. Also in contention (while claiming to be a Fatah member, even though he was officially ousted) is the Gazan leader living in the United Arab Emirates, Mohammad Dahlan. His supporters in Palestine are very active and are quoted as belonging to the Fatah Reform Trend.

The flurry of media reporting about the decree upgrading Faraj has received no comment from the Palestinian leadership or from the two key aides to Abbas (Faraj and Sheikh) or from any senior Fatah leader. But the Crisis Group published a report in February saying that the succession battle to Abbas could result in the “collapse” of the Palestinian Authority.