(Ynet News) Mordechai Kedar - Following the show in Washington, the current Palestinian leadership will find a way to thwart the direct negotiations because they cannot finalize a deal. Any Palestinian or Arab leader who says something that is interpreted as any kind of concession on the right of return knows that he shall immediately be accused of treason. Moreover, the Palestinian leadership cannot present its public with a deal that would include less than the dream outlined by Arafat: "One Palestinian state with the holy Jerusalem as its capital." Another reason is economic. The PA has been making a good living off public and government funds from Europe, the U.S., and the Arab and Islamic world - to the point where Palestinian per capita disposable income is double that of Egypt. The PA leadership fears that the moment an independent Palestinian state is declared, donations would dry up, as the world will expect the Palestinians to start supporting themselves just like any other independent state. The writer is a lecturer at Bar-Ilan University.
2010-08-24 07:20:23Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive