The Return to the PLO as a National Liberation Project

On July 19, 2025, President Abu Mazen issued a presidential decree to hold elections for the Palestinian National Council by the end of the year. However, a statement from the Presidency of the National Council hindered the execution of the decree by imposing conditions and limitations on participation. On November 2, 2026, a new decree was issued regarding the same subject, stating in the first article: The Palestinian people in the homeland and diaspora are called to free and direct general elections by secret ballot to elect the Palestinian National Council on Sunday, November 1, 2026. In Article 2, it stated: Elections will be held wherever possible, inside the State of Palestine and abroad, using means that ensure the widest possible participation of Palestinians in their places of residence, and in accordance with the laws in force in the host countries. In Article 3, it said: Elections will be conducted according to a system of complete proportional representation, ensuring fair representation for all components of the Palestinian people, including women, youth, and Palestinian communities abroad. As has been the case in the absence of comprehensive national consensus, the presidential decree sparked controversy among those who welcomed it, those who were cautious, and those who questioned the motives behind the decree, its ability to be implemented, and its objectives. Some even asked: Since there is a possibility to hold elections for the National Council in the homeland and diaspora, why are parliamentary and presidential elections not also being held? Away from this controversy, the majority of the people welcomed this decree, which we hope will restore the Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO) as the sole legitimate representative and as a national liberation project, after being marginalized even by its own creators, following the establishment of the authority which wagered that time favors the authority and the state, not the liberation organization. The organization has also been financially tied to the authority and included as a line item in the authority's budget, relying on it for its expenditures after the organization financially collapsed due to the blockade imposed on it after the Second Gulf War. Recently, its properties abroad have been managed in ambiguous and sometimes dubious ways, the latest being the sale of its properties in Lebanon. The return to the PLO has now become a necessity and a national interest in response to the enemy's attempts to liquidate the issue and its threats to dissolve the Palestinian Authority and end its national existence. Even the two-state solution and broad international recognition of a Palestinian state based on international legitimacy have become elusive following Trump's formation of the "Global Peace Council," which does not recognize the State of Palestine or the Palestinian people and bypasses international legitimacy. In this context, the PLO will serve as the umbrella for the entire national struggle and as a guarantee for the continuation of the national liberation project with new tools that take into account local, regional, and international transformations and changes.