Former PA Minister: West Bank Losing Confidence in Ruling Institutions

Former Minister of Prisoners Affairs in the Palestinian Authority Ashraf Al-Ajrami warned that the West Bank is in chaos with violent clan conflicts.

According to the Middle East Media Research Institute (MEMRI), in an article in the daily Arabic-language newspaper Al-Ayyam, Al-Ajrami said the situation results from a failure of Palestinian Authority institutions to build a civil society separate from innate loyalties.

He also said the public is losing confidence in P.A. institutions and their ability to govern, as residents rely ever more on local and tribal frameworks to handle their affairs.

“When Palestinian society reaches a state of complete chaos and the ruling institutions lose their role, we will no longer find anyone to support the idea of establishing an independent Palestinian state,” he wrote.

“Perhaps the language and slogans of the various national factions and groups, which glorify weapons and speak of resistance, have an extensive negative impact on the culture of society,” he added.