MichaelPlutchok via Wikimedia Commons , CC BY - SA 3.0 1. Introduction ....................................................................................................................... 3 2. Geography ........................................................................................................................... 4 Occupied Palestinian Territory (OPT) ................................................................................... 5 Palestinian citizens of Israel................................................................................................... 6 Joint List ............................................................................................................................. 6 Islamic Movement (Northern Branch) ............................................................................... 6 High Follow-Up Committee ............................................................................................... 7 Jerusalem ............................................................................................................................... 7 Refugee camps ....................................................................................................................... 7 3. Institutions ......................................................................................................................... 8 Palestine Liberation Organisation (PLO) .............................................................................. 8 Palestinian National Council (PNC) ................................................................................... 9 Palestinian Central Council (PCC) ................................................................................... 10 Executive Committee (EC) ............................................................................................... 10 Palestinian Authority (PA) .................................................................................................... 11 Executive .......................................................................................................................... 12 Palestinian Legislative Council (PLC) .............................................................................. 13 Justice system ................................................................................................................... 14 Elections ........................................................................................................................... 14 1 Municipalities ....................................................................................................................... 15 Unions .................................................................................................................................. 15 4. Political actors .................................................................................................................. 15 PLO groups ........................................................................................................................... 16 Fatah ................................................................................................................................. 16 Fatah – Democratic Reform Bloc ..................................................................................... 17 Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) ...................................................... 17 Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine (DFLP) ............................................... 18 Palestine Democratic Union (FIDA) ................................................................................ 18 Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine-General Command (PFLP-GC) ............... 18 Palestinian People’s Party (PPP) ...................................................................................... 18 Palestine Liberation Front (PLF) ..................................................................................... 19 Palestine Popular Struggle Front (PPSF) ......................................................................... 19 Non-PLO groups .................................................................................................................. 19 Hamas ............................................................................................................................... 19 Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) ........................................................................................ 21 Popular Resistance Committees (PRC) ............................................................................ 21 Palestinian National Initiative (PNI) ............................................................................... 21 Hizb ut-Tahrir (HuT) ....................................................................................................... 22 Harakat al-Sabareen (HaS) .............................................................................................. 22 5. Armed groups ................................................................................................................... 22 Izz al-Din al-Qassam Brigades (IQB) – Hamas ................................................................... 22 Al-Quds Brigades (AQB) – Islamic Jihad ............................................................................ 23 Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades (AMB) – Fatah ........................................................................... 23 Al-Nasser Salah al-Deen Brigades – PRC ............................................................................ 23 Abu Ali Mustafa Brigades – PFLP ........................................................................................ 23 National Resistance Brigades – DFLP ................................................................................. 24 Salafi-Jihadis ........................................................................................................................ 24 Jund Ansar Allah .............................................................................................................. 24 Al-Tawhid wal-Jihad ........................................................................................................ 24 Jaysh al-Umma ................................................................................................................. 24 Jaysh al-Islam ................................................................................................................... 25 Fatah al-Islam (Lebanon) ................................................................................................. 25 6. Security forces .................................................................................................................. 25 General Intelligence Service (GIS) ....................................................................................... 26 Preventive Security (PS) ....................................................................................................... 26 2 National Security Forces (NSF) ........................................................................................... 27 Military Intelligence ......................................................................................................... 27 Military Liaison ................................................................................................................ 27 Presidential Guard ............................................................................................................... 27 Security and Protection Unit (Hamas)................................................................................. 27 Civil Police ............................................................................................................................ 27 Internal Security Force (ISF) ............................................................................................... 28 Internal Security Agency (ISA) ......................................................................................... 28 General Intelligence ......................................................................................................... 28 7. Civil society ....................................................................................................................... 28 8. Profiles .............................................................................................................................. 59 9. Acknowledgements ........................................................................................................... 29 ANNEX: MAPS AND DATA ……………………………………………………………………….……….. 60 Mapping Palestinian Politics provides an interactive overview of the main Palestinian political institutions and players in Palestine, Israel, and the diaspora. Its goal is to provide an easy-to- use, scene-setting resource for researchers, journalists, and policymakers ahead of significant transformations to the Palestinian political order centred around the anticipated departure of Mahmoud Abbas in the near term. Since succeeding Yasser Arafat as Palestinian leader in 2004, Abbas has consolidated his grip on power within the Palestinian Authority (PA), the Palestine Liberation Organisation (PLO), and Fatah. Over the years, Abbas has steadily purged or constrained his political rivals, monopolised the various Palestinian decision-making processes, and pursued increasingly authoritarian measures to stifle dissent and shrink the space for Palestinian democracy and popular participation. This political