The usual propagandistic answer is that “Israeli occupation is so forceful”
that Palestinians are not able to govern themselves effectively. Undoubtedly, confrontation with Israel has an influence on the instability, however, a more profound answer is necessary.
First and foremost, as in all the Middle East, the primary loyalty of Palestinian Arabs is to their clan or extended family (Jamula) and not to a westernstyle central government. An Arab living in Hebron feels more identified to his clan Qawasme that to his Palestinian belonging. The same can be said about the Al-Masri clan in Nablus or so many others. The Palestinian national identity is undermined because the descendants of the different clans usually do not marry each other.
Another factor that does not help stability is poor democratic culture. Although Mahmoud Abbas won the free presidential elections in 2005 (with no participation of Hamas), his government was supposed to last for 4 years but is still in force with no elections. As occurs with so many other non-democratic
governments, the Palestinian Authority stands using three techniques: they pay for popular support with public funds (Soft State); they repress, harass and kill opposers… and blame their disgraces on their known enemy (the scapegoat, the State of Israel).
Another fundamental factor is the endemic corruption noticeably explained by the Palestinian Bassam Tawil in his article “The Secret World of the Palestinian Authority: the corruption silenced by western media”. The PA has received billions of dollars in aid from the US, the European Union and other donor countries, however, the funds have not benefitted the Palestinian citizens. The Jerusalem Institute of Justice affirms that Yasser Arafat and Mahmoud Abbas, together, have robbed $31,000,000,000 from the Palestinian coffers.