Mustafa Barghouti, General Secretary of the Palestinian National Initiative, is one of the most moderate Palestinians on the scene. he condemned Hamas' murder of Israeli civilians on October 7 (yes, this is a very low bar.) He says that he wants a non-violent intifada. He has been interviewed on Western media.
Yet even he is dead set against saving the lives of Gazans under fire.
In September, before the ceasefire, Barghouti traveled to Indonesia and gave a press conference where he urged the Indonesian government not to "transfer Palestinians," allowing injured or fleeing Gazans to take refuge in Indonesia, calling it an act of participation in "ethnic cleansing."
"Israel will perceive it as participation in the ethnic cleansing of the Palestinian people. You should not allow the Israelis to cheat you by claiming that this is a humanitarian act," Barghouti stated.
This is the Palestinian mentality. If Israel gains, then it is by definition bad - even if Palestinians die because of that policy.
Even if the Gazans themselves want to leave and save their families!
Barghouti holds no government position. He can say that he supports saving Palestinian lives and not get fired by Mahmoud Abbas. But even the thought of allowing Gazans to save their own lives is anathema if it means that Israel is less likely to bomb them while attacking Hamas. Dead Palestinians are an asset, not a liability, for even the most Western oriented, English speaking Palestinian.
It is truly a sick culture.
There is one other thing this supposedly peaceful politician said that is notable.
On the role Arab and Muslim countries, Barghouti said, "I am a realistic person. We do not ask them to send armies to fight Israel, but at least they should send a humanitarian convoy representing the 57 Arab and Muslim countries to break the siege in Gaza."
He didn't say "I am against war." He is saying, "Realistically, they won't start a war, but I would prefer that they do attack Israel."
Of course, Barghouti also is a strong supporter of destroying Israel via the "right of return." he wants Palestinians not to build the Palestinian state but to move to the very Jewish state he claims is genocidal towards them.
This is why peace is impossible. There is simply no partner for peace on the Palestinian side who is willing to accept Israel's existence as a Jewish state. But worse than that, there are no Palestinian leaders who even prioritize the lives of their own people over making things marginally more difficult for Israel.
(h/t Irene)