Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas has decided to appoint respected academic Rami Hamdallah as his new prime minister who will be tasked with forming the next Ramallah-based government. The nomination of Hamdallah, who was widely expected to tread a similar path to his predecessor Salam Fayyad, was hailed by Washington and also welcomed by Israeli pundits who described him as "a good man" and a moderate pragmatist vis-a-vis the Jewish state.Duration: 01:00