Suspension of the Palestinian Legislative Council's Activities: A Legal and Constitutional Analysis

This study examines the complex constitutional crisis resulting from the suspension of the Palestinian Legislative Council’s activities, which began in the summer of 2007 and culminated in the Constitutional Court’s 2018 ruling to dissolve it. It uses a descriptive, analytical, and comparative approach to analyze the causes of this structural paralysis and assess the constitutionality of the dissolution decision in light of the provisions of the Basic Law that protect the legislature. The study concluded that this suspension led to an encroachment of presidential power and the emergence of a dual legislative fragmentation between the West Bank and Gaza, thereby weakening democratic legitimacy. The study recommends that comprehensive general elections be held as soon as possible and that a legal committee be formed to unify the conflicting legal systems.