Palestinian National Authority (PNA) President Mahmoud Abbas will, later this month, reportedly resign as the head of the Palestine Liberation Organisation (PLO), though not the PNA, after holding this position for more than a decade. More than half of the members of the PLO governing body, the PLO Executive Committee, will also tender their resignations along with Abbas in a move that his supporters claim will bring in “new faces”. But lest such seemingly positive statements fool anyone, it is important to highlight what Abbas is doing — and what he is not doing.

Israel’s planned and systematic actions to maintain full control of the Palestinian economy for over five decades has become a major hurdle in getting Israel to realize that its military occupation of Palestinians must come to an end. Like recovery from other addictions, this one will require external support.