The Palestinian Central Council held its 31^th session last Sunday and Monday under the shadow of week representative participations and boycotts by Palestinian factions; headed by the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine. Also, it lacked the presence of the historic leaders of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) like Dr. Hana Ashrawi; who submitted her resignation last year.

This session has come amid a state of popular and faction rejection for the current shape of the session and the consideration of its meetings illegal. It was held unilaterally, without a national consensus, and amidst accusations of Fateh and some of the small factions stealing the institutes of the Palestinian people and their representative councils in a way that serves a small group of the powerful, led by President Mahmoud Abbas and a number of security leaders and economic personnel.

The two-day Central Council meeting was accompanied by the organization of marches and stands in Gaza and Ramallah, and a series of statements by Palestinian leaders, mainly Hamas and Islamic Jihad. In addition, the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine condemned the Central Council for holding such a session that may leave serious repercussions on the official institutions and the Palestinian decisions, devote the state of individuality, and help the failed path of negotiations continue; away from the real Palestinian attitudes.

The most prominent goals of this session can be reflected in filling the vacancies within the Executive Committee of the Palestine Liberation Organization. Most importantly, the addition of Hussein Al-Sheikh; who is one of the pillars of the small circle of Abbas and the most prominent leader of the security coordination between the Palestinian Authority and the Israeli occupation, and Mohammed Mustafa and Ramzy Khouri; who are among the Palestinian economic figures close to Abbas. Furthermore, the election of Rawhi Fattoh as the chief of the Palestinian National Council.

Analysis and Insight of the Scene

• The convening of the Central Council session in its current form and amid several calls to delay it is a continuation of the policy of individuality and exclusion practiced by the current Palestinian Authority's leadership.
• The holding of the Central Council's session received serious Palestinian popular and faction rejection, reflecting those councils and their representatives' lack of Palestinian consensus.
• The Palestinian Authority and Fateh tried to pass some laws, in which one of them was the reelection of Abbas as the President of Palestine through this session. This is considered as a coup against the Palestinian political system. However, the Palestinian Authority retreated due to the rejection of some leftist parties of the proposal and their threat to withdraw.
• Fateh and the current leadership of the Palestinian Authority use the PLO's councils to enhance their influence over the Palestinian decisions amid the case of lack of real representation.
• Through the session of the Central Council, the Palestinian Authority enhanced its current political system, based on the coordination with the Israeli occupation through nominating some leaders adopting the same system such as Hussein Al-Sheikh.

Situation Report: Based on the aforementioned, the expected scenarios are as follows:

1. The leadership of the Palestinian Authority and Fateh Movement might continue to empower its policy of individuality of the Palestinian political decisions and exclusion of any Palestinian faction adopting opposite ideologies. This scenario is strengthened by the strong commitment of the Palestinian Authority and Fateh towards the normalization and security coordination approaches, the struggle against any anti-occupation methods of resistance, and the great power to control the leading positions in the Palestinian Representative Institutes, in a way that surpasses professionalism and law.
2. The partnership in the Palestinian representation might be empowered by the Palestinian Representative Council's absorbing all Palestinian representatives according to a real methodology that grants every Palestinian faction its real value. This scenario is considered as week, due to the PA's leaders' lack of real faith in partnership or in changing the negotiation approach with the occupation.

In general, the first scenario seems more logical to happen in the upcoming days, due to the attitudes of the Palestinian Authority in dealing with the rest of the Palestinian factions, and its faith in the security coordination with the Israeli occupation.