Here is bad news for anyone concerned about the state of peace in the Mideast:
JERUSALEM — Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas was hospitalized with fever Sunday just days after undergoing surgery on his ear, an official said.
Abbas, 83, has endured a series of recent health scares which have revived anxiety over who will succeed him.
...
Another Palestinian official, speaking anonymously because he was discussing the president’s health, said Abbas has pneumonia and is on a respirator and is receiving antibiotics intravenously. He said he is conscious and lucid.
There is no clear agreement in the press about Abbas’ current condition, and we should not assume the worst.
But there’s also no clear successor to Abbas. it’s a good reason to start thinking about what the future likely will bring if something happens that makes Abbas unable to continue as leader of the Palestinian Authority.
This diary is intended to ask your thoughts on what’s likely to happen to
1. the Palestinian Authority,
2. the relationship between Fatah and Hamas,
3. the relationship between the Palestinian leadership(s) and Israel, and
4. the relationships between all of those parties and the US.
The best case would be a clear successor. However, there is also a risk that there will be chaos and possibly fighting among the different Palestinian factions.
I’d really appreciate your thoughts.