Palestine, not Israel, will carry the cost of its rejectionist policies
The Palestinian Authority, unphased by its unsavory allies, is continuing to stick its head in the sand.
By EMILY SCHRADERPalestinian President Mahmoud Abbas speaks during a leadership meeting in Ramallah, in the West Bank May 19, 2020(photo credit: ALAA BADARNEH/POOL VIA REUTERS)
It’s been said of Palestinian leaders that they never miss an opportunity to miss an opportunity. History seems to be proving the statement correct with the Palestinian response to the peace agreement between the United Arab Emirates and Israel last week. While Israelis and Emiratis are celebrating the historic agreement that benefits both sides, Palestinian leaders are furious, and launching somewhat futile diplomatic efforts to ensure other Arab states do not follow suit.This temper-tantrum policy from the Palestinian Authority is nothing new, particularly in recent years with the increased pressure on the PA from President Trump.In response to the defunding of UNRWA and freezing aid to the Palestinians, the PA issued threats on the danger of such a move, stating that it was “harming peace” in peace negotiations that they refuse to have. After President Trump moved the US Embassy to Jerusalem, the Palestinian leadership issued threat after threat of diplomatic action and warned there would be immense bloodshed over the move.In the end, nothing happened. More recently, in response to the “Deal of the Century,” the Palestinians again issued threats and attempted to lobby against the United States and Israel, insisting the Oslo Accords were “over.” The Palestinians have threatened to cut off ties with the United States, to end security cooperation with Israel, and other overly dramatic reactions to being held accountable for their own corruption. After all the threats, nothing changed.Repeatedly, Palestinian leaders have aligned themselves with extremists and demanded the world, in particular the Arab world, back them up. Increasingly, the only “allies” of the Palestinian government are oppressive regimes hell-bent on destruction and terror. Within the first 48 hours of the peace agreement between the UAE and Israel, those who spoke out against peace included Iran, the world’s largest sponsor of global terrorism, and Turkey, which made headlines last week for granting citizenship to Hamas terrorists actively planning attacks.Incidentally, Qatar’s Al Jazeera media conglomerate also heavily condemned the peace agreement.But the PA, unphased by its unsavory allies, is continuing to stick its head in the sand. Last week, a senior Palestinian official told the Israeli press in response the UAE-Israel peace agreement, “Even if the whole world changes... and even if the whole Arab and Muslim world establishes peace with Israel, without the Palestinians there will be no peace.”The reality couldn’t be further from the truth, because the Palestinians no longer have any ground to stand on when it comes to negotiation, even with the Arab world, and for this their leaders have no one to blame but themselves.The PA seems to be forgetting that due to its own incompetence, corruption and kleptocracy, it has very little to offer in terms of bargaining, even with other Arab states. Israel, on the other hand, has proven itself to be a diplomatic and innovation powerhouse in a number of fields.The Gulf states, as well as other Arab nations, stand to gain immensely by making peace with Israel. On the contrary, the Arab world stands to gain nothing by digging in its heels against peace and siding with the Palestinians.
Instead of recognizing that doing the same thing over and over won’t yield the results they want, they insist on making the same mistakes that will continue to harm their future as a nation. Palestinian leaders have openly aligned themselves against peace, despite the fact they have been able to present themselves to the West as wanting “peace” through propaganda for decades.The peace between the UAE and Israel demonstrates the truth: The Palestinian government is an enemy of peace – peace between Israel and the Palestinians, and peace between Israel and the rest of the world. In the end, peace will be made between Israel and the Arab world because it is in the interests of both parties, and the continued cost of Palestinian rejectionism will only rise.The writer is the CEO of digital marketing firm Social Lite Creative and a research fellow at the Tel Aviv Institute.
