(Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs) Yoni Ben Menachem - The Palestinians are facing a near-complete disconnection of the Palestinian leadership with the U.S. administration, a reluctance by the European Union to confront the Trump administration over the Palestinian issue, and the disengagement of Arab states from the Palestinian Authority and its leader. The blame for all these failures lies with the Palestinians. The Palestinian rejection of any peace plan that does not meet 100% of their demands has led the Palestinians to this nadir. Today, Mahmoud Abbas is signaling to Israel, the U.S., and moderate Arab countries that he has no problem joining the "Muslim Brotherhood" axis headed by Turkey and Qatar. According to PA sources, Abbas has maintained a regular dialogue with former vice president Biden through a well-known businessman and has received a series of promises from Biden, should he be elected, including the repeal of a series of moves taken by the Trump administration, including the U.S. peace plan. At the same time, there are senior PA officials who estimate that the Palestinian problem will not be Biden's primary concern. They warn that the U.S.-Israel relationship is a strategic alliance between the two countries and that the traditional American political system supports maintaining Israel's security. These sources say that Donald Trump did not give the PA what it wanted and neither will Joe Biden. "The Palestinians are in for many more years of struggle," a Palestinian observer concluded. The writer, a veteran Arab affairs and diplomatic commentator for Israel Radio and Television, is a senior Middle East analyst for the Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs.
2020-10-19 00:00:00Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive