(Gatestone Institute) Khaled Abu Toameh - The possibility of some Arab countries normalizing their relations with Israel has prompted the Palestinians to wage a campaign titled: "Normalization is a Crime," aimed at pressuring Arab leaders to refrain from such moves. The Palestinians are convinced that the U.S. is continuing with its efforts to persuade some Arab states to establish normal ties with Israel before solving the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. As part of their effort to thwart the prospective U.S. peace plan, and to prevent Arabs from establishing normal relations with Israel, the Gaza-based Palestinian Scholars' Association issued yet another fatwa (Islamic religious opinion) on March 3 warning against any form of normalization with the "Zionist entity." It serves as a reminder that even if some Arabs do sign peace treaties with Israel, there will always be those Muslims who will denounce them as "traitors" and accuse them of acting against Islam. In light of this threat, it is hard to see how Abbas or any Palestinian leader would be able to agree to any form of reconciliation and normalization with the "Zionist enemy." Abbas is acutely aware that Muslims will condemn him - and perhaps issue a fatwa calling for his death - if he ever dares to make peace with the Jews.
2019-03-08 00:00:00Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive