US Secretary of State Antony Blinken (left) and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas meet in Amman two months ago (French)
RAMALLAH – Since the start of the aggression on Gaza on October 7, Israeli officials, led by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, have repeatedly attacked the Palestinian Authority, in parallel with measures on the ground that undermine its ability to carry out its responsibilities.
On more than one occasion, Netanyahu has attacked Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas for not condemning the Al-Aqsa flood and the killing of hundreds of Israelis in the Hamas attack, and criticizing the Oslo Accords "which returned the Palestinians to the heart of the State of Israel."
He went so far as to say that the Palestinian Authority "does not fight terrorism but supports terrorism, it is not raised for peace, it is raised to eliminate Israel." "We will not accept the return of this authority to Gaza."
In parallel with the statements, the occupation took measures, including deducting Gaza's share of the clearance, estimated at about $140 million per month, in addition to previous deductions exceeding $<> billion annually from tax funds collected by Israel at the crossings it controls on behalf of the PA.
The Israeli army continues to raid Palestinian towns and villages with the aim of killing and arresting, while the Palestinian security services are required to remain at their headquarters.
On the ground, the pace of settlement in Area C, which constitutes about 60% of the West Bank and is under full Israeli control, is accelerating, and Palestinian communities continue to be displaced, and the siege and movement of Palestinians in all West Bank cities continues, prompting the Palestinian government to reduce the working hours of its employees in various sectors to a minimum.
In light of the above, why and to what extent does the occupation go in its actions against the Palestinian Authority? Did he get a Western green light to undermine its role and limit it to the security dimension? Questions addressed by Al Jazeera Net to a prominent Palestinian politician and two analysts.
Urgent| Press coverage. Netanyahu: "The Palestinian Authority is not fighting terrorism, but it is funding it, and it is not the party that is supposed to enter Gaza now." pic.twitter.com/rNvcwjZORL
— Quds News Network (@qudsn) December 2, 2023
Organized Campaign
Wasel Abu Yousef, a member of the PLO's Executive Committee, said that "Netanyahu has stated more than once that his presence prevents the establishment of a Palestinian state, and that the Palestinian division is a strategic interest for Israel."
He adds that Netanyahu is betting on victory in Gaza as "a great interest to prevent the establishment of a state on the occupied territories in the West Bank, Gaza and Jerusalem."
Abu Youssef believes that the United States has a key role in Israeli plans: "The United States is a partner in the war of extermination and its continuation."
In light of international silence and an Arab position that does not rise to the level of a crime, he said, "they consider the PA and its political struggle like Hamas, and are subjected to an organised campaign of occupation with US support".
The Palestinian leader pointed to the daily storming of cities and villages in the West Bank and the prevention of communication between them, the increase in settler attacks, the displacement of Palestinian villages, and even the threat of displacement of Palestinians in the West Bank.
He said that accusing the PA of terrorism is like accusing Hamas, and cutting funds is an attempt to undermine all Palestinian representation.
Regarding the corresponding Palestinian plan, and what is going on in the meetings of the Palestinian leadership, Abu Youssef said that the leadership met last Sunday, and stressed the non-acceptance of displacement and rejection of any new Nakba, and the need for concerted efforts with the Arab and Islamic world to stop the bloodshed and plans to form a new administration for Gaza.
Abu Yousef added that the Palestinian people have thwarted previous plans, and will fail to resist any plans that affect the unity of the land and Palestinian representation.
Despite its importance, the Palestinian leader believes that the political positions in support of the Palestinian people lack "mechanisms that oblige the occupation to stop its aggression," adding, "There must be seriousness, sanctions and the withdrawal of ambassadors, because without prejudice to the interests of the colonial countries, pressure will not occur on the occupation."
Where is the Palestinian Authority regarding what is happening in the Jenin camp#حرب_غزة #الأخبار pic.twitter.com/oVLn4wk7FJ
— Al Jazeera (@AJArabic) November 29, 2023
The last bastion of moderation
For his part, Dr. Ahmad Rafiq Awad, head of the Jerusalem Center for Future Studies at Al-Quds University, ruled out undermining the authority "in the sense of destroying it and canceling it," but he does not rule out attacking the faces of the authority and its role.
He explains his opinion in two points, the first is that they will not find an alternative to the moderation of the authority and its vision, and the second is that the authority enjoys international and Arab recognition, and it is not easy to undermine it, and to end an authority recognized by many parties that want it.
The Palestinian analyst suggests that the American approach to the renewal of the authority means changing people, roles, political vision and a future political solution, including the creation of new roles or the abolition and change of old roles and the modification of the Palestinian political system, but not to the point of abolishing the authority, because it destroys the last bastions of moderation in the region.
Awad said the United States was looking for a political path the next day after the war "on the basis of territorial integrity and a renewed authority to govern it, but without Hamas".
Referring to the statements of US officials that the PA in its current state does not have credibility with the Palestinians, he saw in the American position "ambiguity, lack of clarity and confusion, as it does not want the moderate or the extremist to classify them, so what does it want?"
Hence, the director of the Jerusalem Center does not rule out the continuation of the Israeli government in trying to dismantle the authority, labeling it as a terrorist and accusing it of not fighting terrorism as long as it talks about the state, Jerusalem and the right of return for refugees, in an attempt to avoid imposing a political settlement, taking advantage of international silence and the American license.
Awad believes that Israel may try to impose a safe settlement that does not include a state, consisting of ghettos and the hijacking of Area C, adding that "deducting the clearance is only part of weakening the authority and trying to overthrow it in front of its people if it is unable to pay salaries."
Urgent | Israel Broadcasting Corporation: Netanyahu assured Knesset lawmakers and US officials that there would never be a Palestinian Authority in Gaza pic.twitter.com/vaAkF1IlfQ
— Al Jazeera Egypt (@AJA_Egypt) December 4, 2023
Controversial
The issue of undermining the PA and its role is a matter of contention between the two levels and security in Israel, according to writer and political analyst Ahmed Abu al-Hija, who said that the security level and with it the army are against undermining "and sometimes clash with the political level."
Abu al-Hija added that the security level, based on his appreciation of the Israeli interest, "believes that strengthening the authority is necessary to preserve the security of the West Bank, and they are against the deduction of the clearance, as the Shin Bet recently announced an approach to ensure its disbursement."
He said that Netanyahu's position on the PA stems from his refusal to let the Gaza war produce a political horizon in which one party is in power, and paves the way in one way or another so that this scenario is not on the table, "and this is a matter of disagreement with the Americans."
"Netanyahu will continue to demonize the Palestinian Authority in anticipation of any initiatives to resolve the Palestinian issue in which the PA aspires to have a role."
According to Abu al-Hija, Israel "is in a state of confusion and strategic blindness, which has caused it to fall into political pitfalls, part of which is the appreciation of its relationship with the PA, given the lack of any solutions or scenarios on the right."
He said that the extreme right will not go to any solution with the Palestinians under any circumstances, nor will it give them anything, yet the PA remains "a desired option and difficult to do without."
Abu al-Haija criticizes Palestinian officials' betting on the possibility of the collapse of the Israeli right after the war, and will even be surprised that the next option is the right and the extreme right.
Source : Al Jazeera