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Five Requirements Abbas Must Meet to Demonstrate His Commitment to Peace

(Jerusalem Center for Foreign Affairs) Lt.-Col. (res.) Maurice Hirsch - While Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas is quick to express his commitment to peace, his actions tell a different story entirely. If Abbas genuinely seeks to promote peace, there are five specific actions he must take: Unequivocally condemn the Oct. 7 massacre - While it seems unfathomable to decent people, Abbas, the PLO and the PA (both headed by Abbas) has never condemned the massacre. Abbas' Fatah even bragged about participating in the massacre. Abolish the PLO/PA pay-for-play policy - Every year the PLO/PA pays hundreds of millions of dollars to promote, incentivize and reward terror. Abbas, the PLO, and the PA continued rewarding terrorists even after Congress passed the Taylor Force Act. While the policy is universally condemned, Abbas refuses to abolish the policy, preferring to repeatedly declare that even if the PA has one last penny in its coffers, it would be paid first to the terrorists. Stop all delegitimization of Israel and incitement to violence and dehumanization of Jews and Israelis - In order to fuel the flames of hatred, Abbas, the PLO and the PA have turned rabid anti-Israel propaganda, incitement to violence and terror, and antisemitism into daily events. No Palestinian leader can claim to seek to promote peace, while simultaneously sustaining and supporting mechanisms that generate hate. Agree to the resettlement of the "Palestinian refugees" - Abbas and the Palestinian leadership have cynically abused the "Palestinian refugees" for over 75 years, using them as a political tool to attack Israel. Instead of demonstrating flexibility, Abbas has dogmatically rejected any solution, demanding that the refugees demographically and democratically destroy Israel. Clarify who he represents and what authority he has - Abbas has never enjoyed wide Palestinian support. When the Palestinians were asked who they thought was "the most deserving of representing the Palestinian people," 49% expressed support for Hamas, that led the Oct. 7, 2023, massacre. Only 17% expressed support for Fatah, led by Abbas. Abbas is a dictator, now in the 20th year of his initial four-year term as PA Chairman. Since discussions with a person incapable of delivering on his commitments are futile, before Abbas can claim to represent the Palestinians, he must first clarify exactly what authority he has to speak on their behalf. The writer, Director of the Palestinian Authority Accountability Initiative at the Jerusalem Center, was director of the Military Prosecution in Judea and Samaria.
2024-11-24 00:00:00
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