Wednesday, October 23, 2024
Elder of Ziyon
Mahmoud Abbas rejected it, as he has rejected every single peace plan that has ever crossed his or his predecessor's desk.
The Palestinian Authority must undertake reforms and demonstrate transparency and accountability to restore its credibility and the trust of the Palestinian people and international partners, in exchange for being recognized as the sole legitimate governing body of Gaza. This process will include the appointment of a new prime minister and the establishment of a Gaza committee through presidential decree.It also requires that the Israeli government make concessions, on the path to progress towards a two-state solution.The plan includes the deployment of a temporary international mission based on an official request from the Palestinian Authority, whereby the mission will be deployed to replace the Israeli military presence in Gaza, and will supervise the stability of the situation and the enforcement of the law in Gaza.The forces could include personnel from Arab countries, including military contractors, and the Palestinians would not have a direct role in security at first, the UAE document says.The Steering Committee of the Temporary International Mission will consist of the UAE, the United States and other regional countries, and will be tasked with ensuring progress, coordinating international funding, monitoring Palestinian Authority reforms and reconstruction efforts, and security developments.A special committee for Gaza will be formed, consisting of Palestinians, and will be responsible for the daily management of the Strip, the rehabilitation of the economy, social services, and government institutions, and will gradually build the Palestinian Authority's presence in Gaza.The staff and workers will include former government employees of the Palestinian Authority, as well as former government employees who served under Hamas rule, provided they are vetted by the Steering Committee members and Israel.The plan does not seek to conclude a new agreement with Israel, but it will ensure compliance with existing security and economic arrangements (such as the Paris Protocol), and Israeli security concerns will be addressed without the need for renegotiation, the Emirati document states.The document also states that the Palestinian Authority will bear responsibility for the reconstruction of Gaza, with financial support from Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and other international donors.Efforts will focus on rebuilding infrastructure, restoring services, and re-establishing Palestinian Authority institutions.It will also aim to complete Palestinian reconciliation, by starting a dialogue between Fatah and Hamas to achieve a consensus that ensures Hamas' acceptance of the committee and the international mission.The document indicates a timetable for initial steps, including issuing a presidential decree to form a new Palestinian Authority government and establishing a Gaza committee.
The plan has been pushed by the UAE for months, and the US has been receptive to it. Axios says, "Israeli officials say Netanyahu liked many parts of the Emirati plan but opposes the more politically-charged aspects, particularly the involvement of the Palestinian Authority in Gaza and the two-state solution vision."
But the response from the PA was a resounding "no." Not a "we'll study it," not a "it has interesting ideas that we may want to keep." Just "strong opposition" to the plan that would force them to eliminate corruption.
So what's their plan? They don't have one.
They haven't said anything except for rejecting every other idea. They don't want any responsibility for governing Gaza - or the West Bank, to be honest. They want the trappings of government without any of the hard work.
The reason is that the PA likes having Hamas in charge of Gaza. It gives them an excuse for not solving problems. It allows them to pretend to be the "good cop" in the region and be honored as a real government of a real state. They like Hamas terrorism. They tacitly supported October 7.
The PA's goals have always been to destroy Israel, and any plan that allows Israel to continue to exist and to be able to defend itself is unacceptable.
Rejectionism is much easier than governing. Especially when the entire idea of a Palestinian state has always been to eventually replace Israel, not to live side by side with it.
