Over and Out

Palestinian Prime Minister Resigns

After weeks of rumors.

Palestinian Prime Minister Salam Fayyad resigned on Saturday after weeks of rumors that he would either withdraw or be pushed out of office. Fayyad and President Mahmoud Abbas had been clashing over economic policy, as Palestine is facing serious financial issues. The resignation came after a meeting between the two that lasted just half an hour, officials say. Most immediately, resignation could frustrate negotiations with Israel: a few days before the resignation, Secretary of State John Kerry announced the coming implementation of an agreement that would “promote economic development in the West Bank,” an area that Fayyad is widely credited with having improved.