The International Monetary Fund (IMF) recently posted a job opening, that of chief managing director. Their outgoing chief left in a hurry and a search is currently underway to replace him. Several names have been tossed around in consideration of the position, including the head of Israel’s central bank, Stanley Fischer.
Despite his high qualifications, it was recently announced that Fischer was no longer being considered for the top job. The IMF has an age restriction – 65 – in order to be eligible to be considered for the five-year term and Fischer is 67. While some had thought that the IMF would waive this restriction for him, they have not.
Fischer’s rejection from the job due to his age however is not the story of note. The interesting angle in this story comes in the form of one of Fischer’s supporters for the job.
He received support from none other than Salam Fayyad, the current Palestinian Prime Minister. Fayyad does not have a vote in the proceedings, but he said that if he did, he would cast it for Fischer. The two worked together at the IMF and Fayyad said about his former colleague that he is a “superb human being” who would make “a great managing director.”
Is there anything in this endorsement worth reading into? Salam Fayyad’s own job is currently on the line as Hamas/Fatah reconciliation talks are underway in Egypt. The two parties have been meeting and fleshing out the details of their own controversial reconciliation. Hamas has made it clear that Fayyad will not represent them in a unity government. Whether that means that Fayyad will be out of a job, that Hamas will back down on this particular sticking point or that reconciliation talks will simply fall apart over this issue is yet to be seen. But the timing certainly proves interesting.
Fayyad must have realized that coming out in support of an Israeli for such a prominent position on the global stage would inevitably enrage Hamas, who are unwilling to even recognize Israel, much less work towards their further successes. Was Fayyad intentionally throwing a wrench into negotiations with Hamas, or was he simply coming out to support his friend and colleague, politics be damned? Will Fischer now do the same for Fayyad as he fights to keep his current position in the Palestinian government? Unless he is looking to further sabotage Fayyad, Fischer should probably do him a favor and spare him an endorsement at this time.
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