At 85, Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas walks a wobbly tightrope, inching forward with skills he learned from Yasser Arafat—but little of his shrewd mentor’s charisma. Now in his 17th year as an undeclared president-for-life, Abbas once again appears on the verge of either being knocked down by one of his younger rivals or precariously hanging on.
Among West Bank Palestinians, Abbas is grudgingly tolerated. In the Hamas-controlled Gaza Strip, he is ignored and mocked. And in diaspora communities around the world—once the stronghold of Palestinian political power—the grim-faced, white-haired president generates frustration and despair.
