Fatah Executive Calls on Next U.S. Administration to Change Policy; Trump Called to Push for Gaza Ceasefire

By Toshiyuki Fukushima / Yomiuri Shimbun Correspondent

15:10 JST, November 11, 2024

RAMALLAH, West Bank — A prominent member of Fatah – the mainstream faction leading the Palestinian Authority, has called for a change in policy from the incoming U.S. administration of President-elect Donald Trump.

Jibril Rajoub, 71, secretary general of Fatah’s Central Committee, gave an exclusive interview with The Yomiuri Shimbun in Ramallah, West Bank, on Thursday.

Regarding Donald Trump’s victory in the U.S. presidential election, Rajoub said he expects Trump to draw the right conclusions based on the experience of his first administration. He also called for a shift away from an extreme pro-Israel stance.

During his first term in office, Trump implemented pro-Israel policies, such as recognizing Jerusalem as the capital of Israel and moving the U.S. Embassy there. The Trump administration also ordered the closure of the Palestinian delegation’s office in Washington. The Palestinian Authority rejected the Middle East peace plan he proposed at the time.

“We don’t want to judge Trump by his past, we want to judge him according to the current situation,” Rajoub said.

He hopes Trump will come up with a clear-cut policy to pave the way for peace and change Israel’s hardline stance on the Palestinian territory of Gaza, where Israel continues a military offensive.

Referring to two principles to which the Palestinian Authority adheres, Rajoub said, “We are committed to achieve” a historic reconciliation “with the Israelis based on the two-state solution” and “We will never raise a white flag to anyone.”

“We expect him to understand the reality on the ground – what Israelis are doing in Gaza, Jerusalem and West Bank is 100% in conflict with American national interest and also with the international legitimacy.”

Rajoub criticized Hamas for the Islamist group’s surprise attack on Israel in October last year and the ensuing fighting in Gaza, saying, “I am sure that targeting civilians on Oct. 7 was irrational and we denounce it.”

However, he also said the attack does not justify Israel killing more than 40,000 people in Gaza.

Rajoub called on Trump and the international community to push for a ceasefire, saying: “The ball is not in our court, the ball is [in] the court of the international community. What the Israelis are doing is a clear-cut violation of international law [and] U.N. resolutions.”

Regarding possible reconciliation between Hamas and the Palestinian Authority, Rajoub said, “Hamas is part of our national fabric, Hamas is part of the Palestinian people.” He expressed his intention to form a joint Hamas-Fatah committee to work together on the reconstruction of Gaza.

Rajoub, born in 1953 in a town near Hebron, was one of the closest associates of the late Yasser Arafat, the former leader of the Palestine Liberation Organization.