Whose side is the Palestinian Authority on?
JVL Introduction
The Palestinian Authority’s security forces have increased its security activities in Jenin, especially in the refugee camp. This is exposing political divisions in Palestinian society; many are opposed to the crack down on Palestinian militants who offer resistance to Israel’s decades long, brutal military regime but many are also concerned about the militias who offer resistance without a political programme or vision.
The PA may well have found itself between the devil and the deep blue sea but there are serious questions about the reasons for its clampdown that has resulted in the deaths of eleven people and it is easy to see why many do not trust the PA. Is the PA trying to demonstrate that it would be able to run Gaza, opposing any resurgence of Hamas and Islamic Jihad? How has its close work with Israel’s security forces benefited Palestinians in the West Bank? They continue to experience repression by Israel’s military forces, attacks (almost always with impunity) by Israeli Settlers, restricted and often blocked access to their farms and olive groves, high levels of incarceration, often without charge under suspicion, ongoing house demolitions and more.
LL
This article was originally published by Ha'aretz on Tue 7 Jan 2025. Read the original here.
'To Be or Not to Be': Jenin Operation Could Seal the Palestinian Authority's Fate
The Palestinian Authority’s security forces have stepped up activities in the city, encouraged by the public’s refusal to back armed militants. All signs point to the fact that the crisis isn’t ending soon
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I don’t believe it is an either/or question of whether one supports the militants or the PA. The PA over many years now, has shown itself to be more like the Vichy government than the Resistance. Quislings!
The corrupt PA remains one of Israel’s ‘security contractors’, allowed to receive sufficient money from the EU to keep its personnel above the rest of the Palestinians. It has no legitimacy, does not represent the majority of the Palestinian people and has not done so for decades.
Think of it like the Vichy government in France or the Quisling government in Norway in World War 2.
The only positve, though imaginary, purpose for its existence was ostensibly to lead the Palestinian statelet in the two state solution which Oslo was supposed to promise.
The difficult question for us is whether to treat its London representative (known as an Ambassador but without that offocial status) as a legitimate voice for the Palestinian people or not. While the present incumbent is personable, passionate and eloquent, and there is no alternative representation, the PA is widely hated by Palestinians.
Replying to Paul Seligman: I’m delighted to see that our opinions are a close match, even to the point of using the same terminolgy “Quisling” and “Vichy”. However, there is – according to me – a misunderstanding about who Ambassador Zomlot represents. Here is a quote from one of his interviews. I have heard him say the same in several other interviews too.
“I want to clear the record. First of all, the Palestinian Authority is not what represents the Palestinian people. It’s the PLO. It’s the Palestine Liberation Organization. I represented the PLO in Washington now I represent the PLO in London. The PA does not have external arms. The sole legitimate representative of the Palestinian people is the PLO. ”
It is true that the corrupt Abbas has usurped powers within the PLO and because it suits the Western Powers to deal with this Quisling, the PA is made out to be the official representative of all the Palestinian peoples.