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Rejection Is Not a Strategy that Works for Palestinians

(Arab News-Saudi Arabia) Ray Hanania - The U.S. hosted the Peace to Prosperity Conference in Bahrain last year, which offered Palestinians $50 billion in economic aid to build a Palestinian state if they would negotiate with Israel. Instead of attending the conference, the Palestinians boycotted it and rejected the U.S. proposals even before they were published. Palestinians could have commandeered the event just by being there. They could have dominated the message and redefined the international discussion to favor their arguments. In their absence, the U.S. was able to strengthen diplomatic and political ties with several Arab world leaders including the UAE and Bahrain. Why shouldn't Trump and Kushner cast us Palestinians aside if we refuse to engage with them, playing the one diplomatic card that has proven over and over again to be ineffective and non-productive - rejection? Is anyone surprised that, after being denounced by the Palestinians, Bahrain would follow the UAE and recognize Israel too? The Palestinians have been fighting a losing war for more than 70 years. Palestinian refusal to recognize their failures, or pursue an alternative strategic plan other than rejection, has sealed their fate in a growing avalanche of marginalization. The Palestinians have made it easy for the Arab world to make peace with Israel.
2020-09-17 00:00:00
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