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