Subdued Responses From Palestinian Authority To Trump's Reelection

Trump's victory in the U.S. presidential election was met with relatively subdued responses from Palestinian officials and media. In a statement, Palestinian Authority (PA) President Mahmoud Abbas congratulated Trump on his win and said that he looked forward to working with him for peace and security in the region. A statement issued by Hamas said that the movement's position on the Trump administration would depend on its actual policies. This diplomatic style indicates cautious optimism that Trump may adopt a different policy on the Palestinian issue during his second term. It stands in stark contrast to the virulent incitement directed by Abbas' PA at the previous Trump administration and its fierce rejection of this administration's proposals for a solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.[1]

This subdued response was shared by the Palestinian press. While it did refer to Trump's victory, only the Al-Quds daily granted it a front-page headline, while the dailies Al-Hayat Al-Jadida and Al-Ayyam merely mentioned it on their front pages. Articles about it mostly conveyed either indifference or anxiety and pessimism about the future. For instance, an Al-Ayyam columnist claimed that "Practically speaking, there is no essential difference between Trump and Harris," while an Al-Quds editorial predicted that "Trump will be more Israeli than the Israelis themselves."

The following are examples of reactions to Trump's victory in the Palestinian press.

PA President Mahmoud Abbas: I Look Forward To Working With Trump Toward Peace And Security In The Region

As mentioned, a statement issued by PA President Mahmoud Abbas congratulated Donald Trump on his win and wished him success. Abbas added that he "looks forward to working with President Trump toward peace and security in the region," and concluded: "We remain steadfast in our commitment to peace and we are confident that the U.S. under your leadership will support the legitimate aspirations of the Palestinian people."[2]

Responding to the news of Trump's victory, Ahmad Majdalani, a member of the PLO Executive Committee, said, "We respect the will of the peoples in choosing their presidents and we do not have any problem with any president in the world, providing there is respect for the will of the Palestinian people to realize its right to self-determination, establish its independent state and remove the occupation from its land." He called on the Trump administration to "deal seriously with the Palestinian issue," adding that "the previous American administration moved from [mere] bias [in favor of Israel] to support and partnership with the occupation in its aggression against our people in the genocidal war."[3]

Sabri Saidam, deputy secretary of Fatah's Central Committee, clarified the Palestinian leadership's expectations from Trump's second term. He told the Al-Quds daily that "we all hope to see a different Trump from the one we knew, able to address the changes in the Palestinian and regional reality." Saidam expressed hope that Trump would not focus only on Arab normalization with Israel while disregarding the Palestinians, but will rather "address the roots of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict." He also called on Trump to "stop the war against Palestine," as he promised his Arab voters he would do, and to make gestures of goodwill towards the Palestinians so as to "restore balance to the relations and underscore that the U.S. respects its international commitments."[4]

Indifferent Response To Trump's Win In Al-Ayyam: He's No Different From Harris

Some of the Palestinian press was indifferent to Trump's win and conveyed that U.S. policy on Palestine was unlikely to change under his leadership. The dailies Al-Hayat Al-Jadida and Al-Ayyam did not even mention Trump's victory in their main headlines. Al-Ayyam columnist Talal Okal wrote: "…Practically speaking, there is no essential difference between Trump and Harris. Up to this very minute the Biden administration has been party to the genocidal war in Gaza. It mobilized its military forces in the region… in order to protect its soldiers and its interests and to protect the occupation state [Israel]. Trump is the father of the 'Deal of the Century,' who said that the land of Israel is a tiny little spot and should be expanded. He will not stop the war, because his partner Netanyahu is in power and wants to continue it to the end…"[5]

November 7 issues of Palestinian dailies Al-Hayat Al-Jadida and Al-Ayam: The news of Trump's victory is relegated to a secondary place

Commentary In Palestinian Daily Al-Quds: Trump Will Undertake Dangerous Measures That Will Harm The Palestinians

Conversely, the Palestinian Al-Quds daily, which takes a more hawkish approach, covered Trump's victory in its main front-page article, headlined "Trump Is Back," and published numerous articles and commentaries predicting that Trump will be unreserved in his support for Israel and undertake extreme and dangerous measures detrimental to the Palestinians.

Front-page headline in Al-Quds daily: "Trump is Back"

The paper's editorial stated that "Trump will be more Israeli than the Israelis themselves and will give them more time to continue to play their satanic role in the region." It said further, "If some people have wondered whether Netanyahu would perhaps end the war in Gaza at an early stage of Trump's term in office, [my answer is that, if he does,] it will be as a favor [to Trump], in order to give the new president a swift diplomatic victory. However, it will be on condition that [Israel and the U.S.] maintain their joint coordination channels regarding numerous other plots against the Palestinian cause in particular and the future of the Middle East in general."[6]

The paper's daily cartoon conveyed that Trump's reelection will drown the world in blood.

(Al-Quds, East Jerusalem, November 7, 2024)

Hamas: Our Position On The New American Administration Will Depend On Its Position Toward Our Palestinian People

A statement issued by the terrorist organization Hamas read: "Our position on the new American administration will depend on the actual positions and actions taken toward our Palestinian people, its legitimate rights and its just cause." The statement called to end America's "blind bias in favor of the Zionist occupation" and "to take real action to end the genocidal war and the aggression against the Palestinian people," as well as "the aggression against the Lebanese people."[7]