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Mahmoud Abbas' "50 Holocausts" Remarks Are Part of the Palestinian Narrative

(Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs) Brig.-Gen. (res.) Yossi Kuperwasser - Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas claimed on August 16 in Berlin that Israel had carried out "50 holocausts" against the Palestinians, which is part of the Palestinian narrative. According to this narrative, there is no Jewish people, and therefore it has no right to its own state. It further claims that there was no history of Jewish sovereignty in the Land of Israel compared to the "ancient indigenous Palestinian people." As victims of Israel and the West, the narrative continues, Palestinians have the right to act in any way to advance their goals, including terrorism, and their victimizers have no right to criticize them. Presenting Israel's policy toward the Palestinians as a holocaust is part of this concept. In light of this, the question arises as to why it is so essential for Israel to strengthen Mahmoud Abbas and the PA he heads. The PA exempts Israel from the need to manage education, health, and other governmental and economic services for the Palestinian population. Moreover, security coordination with the PA ensures that its security apparatus does not interfere with Israel's counterterrorism activities and detentions within the PA, returns Israelis in distress in PA territory, and acts against opposition elements that threaten the PA itself, thereby restraining Hamas. It is claimed that improving the quality of life of Palestinians reduces their inclination to carry out terrorism, although this assumption has no basis. Palestinian terrorism does not stem from feelings of economic distress but from a commitment to the Palestinian narrative. The writer, director of the project on Regional Middle East Developments at the Jerusalem Center, was formerly head of the Research Division of IDF Military Intelligence.
2022-09-01 00:00:00
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