New Palestinian plans?
In an obscure revelation to a UK Arabic newspaper Al Quds al Arabi a PLO official, Hama Amireh, has revealed that the PA plans to cancel all previous security and peace agreements with Israel. Yasser Abed Rabbo, a senior advisor to Pres. Abbas, reportedly plans to convene the PLO/Fatah central committees in order to cancel all commitments made to Israel, such as the Oslo Accords and the Road Map, that require the PA to make steps towards peaceful coexistence with Israel. Specifically these accords require the PA to give up violence and terrorism. Instead the PA is working on a new plan for the Palestinians.
This may be a response to the failure of the US to force Israel to accept the conditions of PA Pres. Abbas that all building cease throughout the West Bank and East Jerusalem. Apparently they feel that Pres. Obama is a failure and has not kept his word to force Israeli PM Netanyahu to accept the PA's conditions prior to peace negotiations. Another reason for the change might be that the rift between Fatah and Hamas, that controls Gaza, is based on the difference in their policies towards Israel. Hamas continues to use terrorism and believes that Israel can only be forced out of Palestine by armed force, whereas recently Pres. Abbas has been on record as opposing the use of terrorism. A change in this policy might bring the two sides closer together and allow them to come to mutual terms. A rapprochement between Fatah and Hamas is more important for the Palestinians than a peaceful resolution with Israel.
Recently the PA leadership, including PM Salam Fayyad, have been working on a plan to unilaterally declare Palestinian statehood. There are two reasons for this, first the comparative economic development of the PA with the huge infusion of monies from the EU, the US and others. Probably the amount of funds that are being siphoned off by the leadership is not as great as under Arafat, i.e corruption is less, and the funds are now more targeted to specific projects, under the guidance of Quartet Representative Tony Blair. Second the training and deployment of large numbers of PA Security Forces that are now patrolling the PA cities. Not many people are aware that Israel has accepted the deployment of these Palestinian forces, and has withdrawn the IDF from positions within the West Bank, as well as having given up raids for Palestinian terrorists. It seems that between them both the PA Security Forces and the IDF have mopped up all wanted Hamas terrorists in the West Bank and so the IDF has ceased its operations and targeted killings there.
There is the possibility that the PA is taking this course merely as a way of bringing pressure on Israel and the US, or is posturing to take actions that they will never do, such as Pres. Abbas's repeated threats to resign his position as Pres. But, whether they are genuine or not, these schemes represent a move away from any indication of peaceful intentions or desire for coexistence with Israel.
This may be a response to the failure of the US to force Israel to accept the conditions of PA Pres. Abbas that all building cease throughout the West Bank and East Jerusalem. Apparently they feel that Pres. Obama is a failure and has not kept his word to force Israeli PM Netanyahu to accept the PA's conditions prior to peace negotiations. Another reason for the change might be that the rift between Fatah and Hamas, that controls Gaza, is based on the difference in their policies towards Israel. Hamas continues to use terrorism and believes that Israel can only be forced out of Palestine by armed force, whereas recently Pres. Abbas has been on record as opposing the use of terrorism. A change in this policy might bring the two sides closer together and allow them to come to mutual terms. A rapprochement between Fatah and Hamas is more important for the Palestinians than a peaceful resolution with Israel.
Recently the PA leadership, including PM Salam Fayyad, have been working on a plan to unilaterally declare Palestinian statehood. There are two reasons for this, first the comparative economic development of the PA with the huge infusion of monies from the EU, the US and others. Probably the amount of funds that are being siphoned off by the leadership is not as great as under Arafat, i.e corruption is less, and the funds are now more targeted to specific projects, under the guidance of Quartet Representative Tony Blair. Second the training and deployment of large numbers of PA Security Forces that are now patrolling the PA cities. Not many people are aware that Israel has accepted the deployment of these Palestinian forces, and has withdrawn the IDF from positions within the West Bank, as well as having given up raids for Palestinian terrorists. It seems that between them both the PA Security Forces and the IDF have mopped up all wanted Hamas terrorists in the West Bank and so the IDF has ceased its operations and targeted killings there.
There is the possibility that the PA is taking this course merely as a way of bringing pressure on Israel and the US, or is posturing to take actions that they will never do, such as Pres. Abbas's repeated threats to resign his position as Pres. But, whether they are genuine or not, these schemes represent a move away from any indication of peaceful intentions or desire for coexistence with Israel.
posted by Jack Cohen at 8:23 AM
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