Economist Mohammed Mustafa Appointed as New Prime Minister of Palestinian Authority

Palestinian National Authority leader Mahmoud Abbas appointed economist Mohammed Mustafa as the new Prime Minister on Thursday, March 14, following the resignation of the previous government on February 26, as reported by the official Wafa agency.

The 69-year-old Mohammed Mustafa, former president of the Palestinian Investment Fund (PIF) and economic advisor to Abbas, has held senior positions at the World Bank in Washington for 15 years. The international civil servant takes office at a critical time during the war between Israel and the Palestinian group Hamas in the Gaza Strip.

In late February, Prime Minister Mohammed Shtayyeh resigned, citing the necessity for a new political approach addressing the "new reality in Gaza" and the "urgent need for an intra-Palestinian consensus." Since the fratricidal clashes in June 2007, Palestinian leadership has been divided between Mahmoud Abbas's Palestinian National Authority, which controls the West Bank, and Hamas, which seized power in the Gaza Strip.

For Palestinian analyst Abdul Majid Swailem, quoted by Agence France-Presse, Mohammed Mustafa's appointment is an attempt to strengthen Palestinian institutions while President Abbas faces pressure from Israel and Washington. Swailem adds that Mustafa is likely to be seen as an acceptable choice for the Americans.