From the Liveblog of
Tuesday, January 20, 2026
Top Palestinian leader accuses Palestinian Authority of institutional corruption
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A former Palestinian Authority intelligence chief publicly accuses the Palestinian leadership of allowing systemic corruption to flourish within its institutions, in a rare appeal addressed directly to PA President Mahmoud Abbas.
In an open letter, Tawfiq Tirawi, 77, says he repeatedly alerted the Palestinian president to cases of graft, but to no avail.
“The corruption system now operates with confidence and immunity,” writes Tirawi, a senior member of the Fatah central committee led by Abbas, whose presidential mandate expired in 2009.
Tirawi alleges the involvement of businesses and individuals in the takeover of public and private lands and assets, describing what he calls a “moral and ethical collapse” of Palestinian institutions.
He also accuses aides around Abbas, who is 90, of “deliberately hiding the truth” from him.
Tirawi says that after consulting with other Fatah figures, he decided to make the issue public, warning that if the situation persists he would disclose details of specific cases to the media.
“Did our people make all these sacrifices — martyrs, prisoners and wounded — only for us to reach a stage where thieves and land brokers are left to spread corruption without deterrence or accountability?” Tirawi writes.
The Times of Israel Community.