In another word, the plan is a farce. From the time of the British Mandate in Palestine to the regeneration of the national movement under the Yasser Arafat-led PLO to today, Israel has largely opposed Palestinian national aspirations, with the U.
Rather the Oslo Accords reflected the limit of what Israel was willing to agree to at the outset of negotiations: for a de-nationalized Palestinian entity to assume local governance in the West Bank and Gaza Strip, relieving Israel of most of its obligations as a military occupier while allowing it to exercise sovereignty over the entire territory. And with no shared basic assumption of where negotiations would lead, or any legal terms of reference, the ultimate breakdown of the accords turned this interim agreement into an indefinite situation.
Furthermore, this is essentially what the Trump plan would permanently enshrine if implemented. Instead of proactively countering the impending proposal by, at the very least, proffering an alternative vision and working with allies in the region and beyond to build support for it, the Palestinian leadership has sat back on its heels and waited without developing a cogent strategy or vision.
That would have required — at some point over the past 15 years — building the necessary alternatives to Oslo-era structures, which relieve Israel of governing responsibilities while reinforcing Palestinian dependence for everything from water and electricity to ports and permits. As such, ad hoc maneuvers like the recent PA decision to ban the import of certain Israeli products to Palestinian markets may be effective in principle, but Palestinians are woefully unprepared for the trade war that is likely to result from them.
Instead of seeking a way out of the Oslo imbroglio, Abbas has dug in deeper, becoming more reliant on Israeli and American goodwill in order to advance the cause of Palestinian statehood. Rather than strengthening meaningful relationships abroad, including among the Palestinian diaspora, his strategy has been to hold out for a paradigm shift to occur inside Israel or America, which might rescue the two-state solution.
It is because of this overwhelming dependence that Israel and America are in a position to inflict such immense damage to the movement. Yet these positions bely important shifts in the Middle East on the Palestinian question and relations with Israel. New geopolitical realities, including regional turmoil, the perceived threat of Iranian expansionism, and American retrenchment, have brought Israel and some Arab countries closer together.
Moreover, how can one expect the Arab states to indefinitely refrain from pursuing common interests with Israel when the PA cooperates with Israel on a daily basis? Connected to this is the broader Arab public and its zeal for the Palestinian cause, which has traditionally acted as a check on regional leaders.
It only took the exploit of one teenage girl, Ahed Tamimi , confronting an Israeli soldier in to show how acts of resistance can capture the global imagination. In place of a legitimate mandate, he has increasingly relied on instruments of suppression to stay in power.
Where the PLO could once be considered a legitimately representative — though never democratic — body, efforts to consolidate control of the institution have reduced it to a shell: Refugee and diaspora populations have been severed from the political process; the large portion of Palestinian society affiliated with Islamist factions, such as Hamas, are not included under the PLO umbrella; and the remaining factions have lost much of their former relevancy. The state of Palestinian affairs should be a concern to all, no matter their political background.
It is that weakness that has allowed Israel to press its advantage to the fullest, which is arguably at the root of failed peacemaking efforts. And if at some point in the future Israel decides it is in its best interest to strike a deal with Palestinians, there will be no party on the other side legitimate enough to sign a meaningful, lasting agreement.
Two months after Gaza ceasefire, US is focused on preventing further crisis without a long-term strategy, say experts. Published On 25 Sep More from News. Argentina votes in midterms amid pressure on President Fernandez. Turkey rebuffs French call for troop withdrawal from Libya. Bulgarians vote in elections for third time this year. In Pictures: Five killed as Sudanese rally against military coup. Most Read. Poland-Belarus border: What you need to know about the crisis.
0コメント