الضفة الغربية « ƆAL-DAF:AḦ ƆAL-ĞARBĪAḦ »
— Officially: دولة فلسطين « Daŭlaḧ Filastīn ».
— English: West Bank.
— Seat of government: رام الله « Rām ɔal-Lah ».
— Status: Not democratic.
— Structure: Semi-elected presidency and legislature, based on complicated, overlapping bodies and frequently-delayed elections, mean that the president serves as permanent and unchecked executive.
— Governing party: فتح « Fatah ».
— Head of government: محمود عباس « Mahmūd Cab:ās » (أبو مازن « Ɔabū Māzan »), president, assisted by رامي حمدالله « Rāmī Hamdɔallah », prime minister.
— Chief opposition party: حماس « Hamās ».
— Assessment: Has control over part of its claimed territory, primarily in isolated enclaves; has been at times democratic, but far from liberal. Technically consists of two entities, the منظمة التحرير الفلسطينية « Munað:amaḧ ɔal-Tahrīr ɔal-Filastīnīaḧ », which is supposed to subsume all political organizations for فلسطين « Filastīn », and the سلطة الوطنية الفلسطينية « Sultaḧ ɔal-Ŭatanīaḧ ɔal-Filastīnīaḧ » (now, the دولة فلسطين « Daŭlaḧ Filastīn »), which is supposed to govern both الضفة الغربية « ɔal-Daf:aḧ ɔal-Ğarbīaḧ » and غزة « Ğaz:aḧ ». Each entity is headed by أبو مازن « Ɔabū Māzan », elected after the death of ياسر عرفات « Jāsir Carafāt » (1969-2004). Cities under complete control of the سلطة « Sultaḧ » are اريحا « Ɔarīhā », طولكرم « Tūlkarm », بيت لحم « Bajt-a Lahm », جنين « Ĝanīn », نابلس « Nāblus », قلقيليا « Qalqīljā », and رام الله « Rām ɔal-Lah »; most of الخليل « ɔal-Xalīl » is also under full control. حماس « Hamās » won the last parliamentary elections, in 2006; its refusal to renounce violence and recognize ישראל « Jiśraɔel » led to a suspension of international aid, which eventually prompted powersharing with فتح « Fatah », which collapsed into fighting in غزة « Ğaz:aḧ » in 2007, and the effective separation of the two territories. أبو مازن « Ɔabū Māzan » has made many attempts over the years to negotiate a هدنة « hudnaḧ » including حماس « Hamās » and الجهاد الإسلامي « ɔal-Ĝihād ɔal-Ɔislāmī », as well as فتح « Fatah »’s كتائب شهداء الاقصى « Katāỉb Šuhadāɔ ɔal-Ɔaqsaj ». Since 2014, the government has been largely technocratic and supported by both فتح « Fatah » and حماس « Hamās », theoretically the government for all of فلسطين « Filastīn ».
— FH: 6-5, not free. Econ: 4.80 (103), hybrid (for فلسطين « Filastīn » as a whole).
— Updated: 2009 April 3.
O.T. FORD