FAYYAD TO CONTINUE AS PRIME MINISTER; THREE NEW

C O N F I D E N T I A L JERUSALEM 001454

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

NEA FOR FRONT OFFICE. NSC FOR WATERS/ABRAMS/SINGH

E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/13/2017
TAGS: KPAL KWBG PGOV PREL PTER IS PINR
SUBJECT: FAYYAD TO CONTINUE AS PRIME MINISTER; THREE NEW
MINISTERS SWORN IN


Classified By: Consul General Jacob Walles, per reasons 1.4 (b) and (d)


1. (C) On July 13, shortly before the expiration of the
state of emergency declared by PA President Mahmoud Abbas
(Abu Mazen),three new ministers were sworn in: Ali Khashan
as Minister of Justice, Ibrahim Ibrash at Minister of
Culture, and Tahani Abu Daqqa as Minister of Youth and
Sports. Contacts in the President's office told ConGen
political specialist that Abu Mazen will not extend the state
of emergency. Discussions continue on legal arrangements but
sources in the President's office say that Fayyad will
continue as Prime Minister in any case. Fayyad confirmed
this as well to the Consul General and said the cabinet will
be unchanged and will include the three new ministers sworn
in July 13. The three new ministers increase the
representation of Gazans in the government and reduce the
number of ministers responsible for multiple portfolios.
Biographies of the new PA cabinet members follow.


2. (SBU) Justice: Ali Khashan (Independent). Khashan is a
professor of Constitutional Law at al-Quds University. He
holds several law degrees from Egypt and Jordan and has
taught law for fifteen years. Khashan is a respected legal
expert without political affiliation. From 2001-2002, he was
one of the legal experts responsible for drafting the first
Palestinian constitution that is planned to be used upon
creation of a Palestinian state. He was also part of the
team that drafted the PA transitional Basic Law. Khashan
lives in the West Bank and in his early fifties.


3. (C) Culture: Ibrahim Ibrash (Independent). Ibrash is a
professor of Political Science and International Relations at
al-Azhar University in Gaza. He is known to be moderate and
pragmatic. He is an Independent, but close to Fatah,
although he has never been a member of the movement. Ibrash
was among those who opposed suicide bombings and the firing
of rockets from Gaza. He is in his early fifties and from
Gaza, but now located in the West Bank.


4. (SBU) Youth and Sports: Tahani Abu Daqqa (Independent).
Abu Daqqa joined Salam Fayyad's Third Way party list for the
2006 PLC elections, but did not win a seat. She has been a
member of Yasser Abed Rabbo's Peace Coalition since 2001.
Prior to 2001, she was a political activist with the
Palestinian Democratic Union (FIDA). She is a member of the
International Women's Commission (IWC) and also worked for
several NGOs in Gaza. She is from Gaza, but is currently
located in the West Bank.
WALLES