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Mahmoud Abbas and the Palestinian Authority need to be held to account

Since he died, at the age of 43, Banat has come to symbolize the authoritarian nature of the PA under Mahmoud Abbas, the leader who replaced Yasser Arafat. Abbas, now 85, was elected for a four-year term in 2005 but 16 years later he is still in charge and widely seen as corrupt and unaccountable, especially by younger people.
Banat was a veteran of Abbas’s own Fatah movement and an outspoken critic of the PA. Back in May his home in the village of Dura was attacked by masked gunmen on motorbikes. He then went to stay with his cousins in Hebron. Banat had repeatedly been arrested for his sharp questioning of the PA leadership on Facebook and videos. He accused them of abandoning Palestinian national interests in return for personal benefit and wealth.
On June 24 his wife Jihan received the news of his death. Nizar had been severely beaten but was still alive when he was dragged from the house by 14 members of the PA security forces, who were given permission to enter the H2 area of the city, which is under Israel military control – a key detail in this bleak story.
An independent autopsy demanded by the family found that Banat had died in custody after being beaten and tortured. The UK Metropolitan police were asked to investigate his killing under the principle of universal jurisdiction, as was the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights.
On Palestinian social media, he is now declared a "shahid," or martyr. In the wake of his death, protesters in Hebron and Ramallah accused the PA of carrying out a “political assassination” and called for Abbas and his administration to be "overthrown."
The killing of this strident critic, who had been arrested several times previously – in particular over Abbas’s decision to announce parliamentary elections in late May and then delaying them - has underlined the PA’s complicity with Israel and the status quo of its 54-year occupation. The official reason given by Abbas for postponing the elections was Israel not allowing East Jerusalem residents to participate. But many, including Banat, believed that they were not held for fear that Fatah would not win a majority of seats.
The PA has a long and well-documented track record of suppressing opposition activists. But the crisis of legitimacy it is currently facing is not just a result of Abbas’s authoritarianism. It also related to May’s protests in East Jerusalem and the subsequent deaths of 248 Palestinians in the Hamas-controlled Gaza Strip. The interests of that Islamist movement have benefitted from those 11 days of violence.
Abbas is getting weaker almost by the day. And PA security forces have acquired the habit of not responding to popular protests – and what the Israel military defines as terrorist activities. That poses a challenge for the new and unwieldy coalition government of Prime Minister Naftali Bennett because it undermines security cooperation with the PA.
Benny Gantz, Bennett’s defence minister and the leader of the centrist Blue and White party, went last week to Ramallah to see Abbas for the first high-level encounter since 2014. An official described as “close to the prime minister” then issued a statement clarifying that Bennett was not himself seeking a renewal of a formal diplomatic process, “and neither will there be one.”
PA officials have given the US a list of demands that could be advanced even without public negotiations with Israel. The list includes some 30 suggestions for restoring the PA’s authority, improving the Palestinian economy and addressing Palestinians’ quality of life.
Israeli military operations deep in the West Bank, particularly in the refugee camps in the north, have recently encountered growing resistance from armed Palestinians. And when Palestinians are killed, as has happened twice in Jenin, the PA is subjected to more internal criticism for not protecting its citizens’ security.
“In the end,” in the perceptive words of one analyst, “Abbas and the PA have been able to sustain their ‘brand’ of governance because international donors, who continue to fund public sector salaries, institution-building efforts, and security sector reform in the occupied Palestinian territories, consider state-building to be a means of peacebuilding.”
It is clearly time for the international community to revisit their commitment to the 1993 Oslo Accords, in which Arafat recognised Israel but Israel only recognised the PLO and did not commit in any way to agree to a Palestinian state. In the big picture – current reality in Israel and the wider Middle East and President Joe Biden’s hands-off approach – it is difficult to be optimistic about the future of the region’s most intractable conflict.
As Ghassan Khalil, Banat's brother, said: “The murder of my brother is not just a tragedy for our family, but also a tragedy for the Palestinian people.” levant
by: IAN BLACK levant

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BENEFIT AGM approves 10%...
- March 27, 2025
BENEFIT, the Kingdom’s innovator and leading company in Fintech and electronic financial transactions service, held its Annual General Meeting (AGM) at the company’s headquarters in the Seef District.
During the meeting, shareholders approved all items listed on the agenda, including the ratification of the minutes of the previous AGM held on 26 March 2024. The session reviewed and approved the Board’s Annual Report on the company’s activities and financial performance for the fiscal year ended 31 December 2024, and the shareholders expressed their satisfaction with the company’s operational and financial results during the reporting period.
The meeting also reviewed the Independent External Auditor’s Report on the company’s consolidated financial statements for the year ended 31 December 2024. Subsequently, the shareholders approved the audited financial statements for the fiscal year. Based on the Board’s recommendation, the shareholders approved the distribution of a cash dividend equivalent to 10% of the paid-up share capital.
Furthermore, the shareholders endorsed the allocation of a total amount of BD 172,500 as remuneration to the members of the Board for the year ended 31 December 2024, subject to prior clearance by related authorities.
The extension of the current composition of the Board was approved, which includes ten members and one CBB observer, for a further six-month term, expiring in September 2025, pending no objection from the CBB.
The meeting reviewed and approved the Corporate Governance Report for 2024, which affirmed the company’s full compliance with the corporate governance directives issued by the CBB and other applicable regulatory frameworks. The AGM absolved the Board Members of liability for any of their actions during the year ending on 31st December 2024, in accordance with the Commercial Companies Law.
In alignment with regulatory requirements, the session approved the reappointment of Ernst & Young (EY) as the company’s External Auditors for the fiscal year 2025, covering both the parent company and its subsidiaries—Sinnad and Bahrain FinTech Bay. The Board was authorised to determine the external auditors’ professional fees, subject to approval from the CBB, and the meeting concluded with a discussion of any additional issues as per Article (207) of the Commercial Companies Law.
Speaking on the company’s performance, Mr. Mohamed Al Bastaki, Chairman BENEFIT , stated: “In terms of the financial results for 2024, I am pleased to say that the year gone by has also been proved to be a success in delivering tangible results. Growth rate for 2024 was 19 per cent. Revenue for the year was BD 17 M (US$ 45.3 Million) and net profit was 2 Million ($ 5.3 Million).
Mr. Al Bastaki also announced that the Board had formally adopted a new three-year strategic roadmap to commence in 2025. The strategy encompasses a phased international expansion, optimisation of internal operations, enhanced revenue diversification, long-term sustainability initiatives, and the advancement of innovation and digital transformation initiatives across all service lines.
“I extend my sincere appreciation to the CBB for its continued support of BENEFIT and its pivotal role in fostering a stable and progressive regulatory environment for the Kingdom’s banking and financial sector—an environment that has significantly reinforced Bahrain’s standing as a leading financial hub in the region,” said Mr. Al Bastaki. “I would also like to thank our partner banks and valued customers for their trust, and our shareholders for their ongoing encouragement. The achievements of 2024 set a strong precedent, and I am confident they will serve as a foundation for yet another successful and impactful year ahead.”
Chief Executive of BENEFIT; Mr. Abdulwahed AlJanahi commented, “The year 2024 represented another pivotal chapter in BENEFIT ’s evolution. We achieved substantial progress in advancing our digital strategy across multiple sectors, while reinforcing our long-term commitment to the development of Bahrain’s financial services and payments landscape. Throughout the year, we remained firmly aligned with our objective of delivering measurable value to our shareholders, strategic partners, and customers. At the same time, we continued to play an active role in enabling Bahrain’s digital economy by introducing innovative solutions and service enhancements that directly address market needs and future opportunities.”
Mr. AlJanahi affirmed that BENEFIT has successfully developed a robust and well-integrated payment network that connects individuals and businesses across Bahrain, accelerating the adoption of emerging technologies in the banking and financial services sector and reinforcing Bahrain’s position as a growing fintech hub, and added, “Our achievements of the past year reflect a long-term vision to establish a resilient electronic payment infrastructure that supports the Kingdom’s digital economy. Key developments in 2024 included the implementation of central authentication for open banking via BENEFIT Pay”
Mr. AlJanahi concluded by thanking the Board for its strategic direction, the company’s staff for their continued dedication, and the Central Bank of Bahrain, member banks, and shareholders for their valuable partnership and confidence in the company’s long-term vision.
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