Neomi Neumann is a visiting fellow at The Washington Institute, focusing on Palestinian affairs. She formerly served as head of the research unit at the Israel Security Agency, or Shin Bet, and with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Neumann recently began her doctoral studies at Tel Aviv University.
Ghaith al-Omari is the Rosalinde and Arthur Gilbert Foundation Senior Fellow in The Washington Institute's Irwin Levy Family Program on the U.S.-Israel Strategic Relationship.
In-Depth Reports
The beleaguered governing body requires an overhaul in order to support West Bank stability, postwar governance of Gaza, and a revived political process with Israel.
On July 19, the European Commission pledged about $435 million in emergency economic support to the Palestinian Authority in exchange for a promise to implement credible reforms. The move underscores the urgency of reforming the PA, which for years has been beset by economic mismanagement, corruption, a legitimacy deficit, and mistrust from donors. But the Authority remains the best actor to govern the West Bank, as well as to lead efforts in the Gaza Strip on the “day after” the war. The task of reform will be daunting, but even initial steps in the security, economic, and educational spheres will signal welcome revitalization at a time of high uncertainty.
In this meticulously written Policy Note, former PA negotiator Ghaith al-Omari and former senior Israeli intelligence analyst Neomi Neumann explain why only a reformed PA—guided by a new generation of leaders—can bring about stability in the West Bank along with a political process that eventually addresses the core elements of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
