Determinants and Characteristics of the Palestinian Political Leadership since the Time of the British Mandate until the Palestinian National Authority

The study aimed to answer the following two questions: What are the determinants and characteristics of the Palestinian political leadership in the different stages of the Palestinian issue?

 Have the changes in the determinants of the Palestinian political leadership led to any difference in its patterns and methods?

In this regard, the researcher used the historical approach in pursuing the biographies of a sample of the leaders of the Palestinian institutions in order to recognize the environments in which they grew up, the circumstances that surrounded them and their strengths and weaknesses. This approach helps classify these leaders and come up with the determinants and characteristics of the Palestinian political leadership.

The study concluded that the Palestinian leadership determinants have developed and diversified depending on the political stage of the Palestinian issue. These determinants were as follows: belonging to a major family during the British Mandate, the Arab identity in the period between the Nakbah (The Catastrophe) and Naksah (The Setback), and the affiliation to the resistance factions since the Naksah until the Oslo Agreement. These determinants have evolved following Oslo Agreement as a result of the American and Zionist interference in the Palestinian leadership determinants. In this context, the study provided several facts and much evidence, including individual decisions or criticism that was directed to the Palestinian political leaders. This confirmed that they were characterized by the father-like pattern in using their power. This was based on five attributes: the personalization of power, informality and the lack of institutional framework, getting closer to the leader as a criterion for political promotion, the balanced conflict, and relying on financial resources.
The study also concluded that the changes in the determinants of the Palestinian political leadership in the different stages of the Palestinian issue did not result in a change in the patterns and characteristics of the political leaders.