Al-Sharq Al-Awsat, London, February 2
The Palestinian issue has finally been brought back to life. Reactions to the “deal of the century” were unsurprising: The Israelis celebrated it as a great achievement even though details are still unknown. Meanwhile, the Palestinians repeated their old stance and rejected the plan even though they do not know what it contains. A generation has passed since the last time the two sides negotiated an agreement. During this time, the world kept spinning: Regimes collapsed, presidents came and went, and national borders changed. The strategic value of the region’s oil began declining. I fear that the old generation of leaders is simply not aware of the danger posed by these massive changes. The Palestinian issue cannot be dealt with in the same old-fashioned way it has been dealt with in the past. The Israelis prefer to ignore the Palestinian issue and if they are forced to negotiate, they hedge their bets on Palestinian obstinance. Therefore, no matter how much criticism one has against this peace plan, history has taught us that each and every peace initiative has served the interests of the Palestinian people. Oslo gave the Palestinians international legitimacy and an administrative entity on the ground. It enabled more than 150,000 Palestinians to return to their country. Similarly, the losers from a failed peace project have always been none other than the Palestinians. With every passing day, the territory controlled by Israel grows while the land owned by the Palestinians shrinks. The argument that the Palestinians must reject the deal because [US] President [Donald] Trump favors Israel is nonsensical. Every single US administration throughout history has favored Israel yet this never prevented the Palestinian Authority from dealing with the situation and defending its own interests in Washington. Most of Trump’s power is merely symbolic. His words do not carry any legal impact. Moving the [US] Embassy to Jerusalem does not mean that now, under international law, Jerusalem is sovereign Israeli territory. Similarly, recognizing the Golan Heights as part of Israel does not mean that United Nations maps no longer consider it occupied Syrian territory. The most dangerous thing that can happen right now for the Palestinians is to retreat with the hope that a miracle might happen. The Palestinian president, Mahmoud Abbas, is perhaps the only person who can lead the Palestinian people in talks with Israel while fighting for their rights. Does accepting Trump’s invitation mean that the Palestinian Authority is required to hand over a blank check? Of course not. Rather, it is expected to sit down and engage in dialogue. No one can impose upon the Palestinians a solution that they refuse to accept. This is how the Israelis approach negotiations though they are even less willing to make concessions than the Palestinians. Yet they maintain a positive attitude toward proposed initiatives and try to leverage them for their own good. It’s time for the Palestinians to do the same. – Abd Al-Rahman Al-Rashed (translated by Asaf Zilberfarb)