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No Honor among Palestinian Prisoners

(Israel Hayom) Dr. Reuven Berko - The Palestinian security prisoners' hunger strike was meant to instigate a mass intifada, which in turn was meant to have the world see jailed Fatah leader Marwan Barghouti, the strike's leader, as the individual with whom they would have to negotiate. But the instigators failed to account for the political schism plaguing the Palestinians, which is why the majority of Hamas prisoners opted not to take part. Barghouti's supporters in Fatah also ignored the fact that his aggressive power play was seen by Abbas supporters as a power grab and an attempt to undermine Abbas. The illusion that the prisoners' strike and their families' protest would make a difference to President Trump also proved a mistake. Moreover, there was never any chance that the Israeli government would be swayed into giving in, particularly considering that the prisoners already enjoy too many privileges. As the strike waned, the leadership representing the prisoners, who are preparing for the real fast of the holy month of Ramadan, understood that any hunger strike would prove futile. As the international community has marginalized the Palestinian issue in favor of the war on terror and the struggle against Iran, Abbas realized that attempting to impose a deal on Israel via Western, Arab and American pressure was a pointless delusion. Dr. Col. (ret.) Reuven Berko was an adviser on Arab Affairs to the Jerusalem district police.
2017-05-29 00:00:00
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