The PA is following with great concern the final negotiations for the establishment of a new right-wing government in Israel led by Benjamin Netanyahu and after the coalition agreements and the Palestinian anger is growing, the assessment of the Palestinian leadership is that it will face a difficult period in the next four years as it weakens economically and security-wise and loses control over parts of the West Bank to new armed groups that grow with the encouragement of the younger generation fed up with the PA leadership.
Saleh Rafat, a member of the executive committee of the PLO, is calling for an international boycott of the new government in Israel that is “not ready to comply with international decisions”.
He referred to the new coalition agreements in Israel and said that they reflect the fact that the new government is “the most extreme right-wing government that has been established in Israel and is based on discrimination and racism”.
PA Chairman Abu Mazen also referred to the new government in Israel this week in his remarks during the Christmas celebrations in Bethlehem.
He expressed disappointment that President Biden did not keep his promises to the Palestinians and said that the new government in Israel advocates extremism, racism and apartheid.
The Palestinian Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued an official statement warning of the dangers inherent in the plans of the new government in Israel on the scene of the Israeli-Palestinian struggle.
According to it, these plans will deepen the gradual annexation of the West Bank and Area C to Israel and will prevent the establishment of an independent Palestinian state along 1967 lines with East Jerusalem as its capital.
The establishment of the new government in Israel is a very severe political and moral blow to the PA which emphasizes the failure of the political strategy of PA Chairman Abu Mazen in recent years.
Abu Mazen has returned in recent weeks to his old strategy of internationalizing the conflict with Israel, namely, appealing to the UN institutions and the International Court of Justice in The Hague to make decisions against Israel, but he also knows that this is a difficult struggle and he is now very afraid that Prime Minister-designate Netanyahu will try to isolate him even more in the political arena by progressing towards a new normalization agreement with Saudi Arabia, the leader of the Sunni world.
The PLO chairman formulated
a new “road map” for action against the Netanyahu government, which he recently presented to the PLO Revolutionary Council.
The road map drawn up by Abu Mazen does not include a new armed intifada.
The plan presented by the PA chairman was intended to confront the new Netanyahu government in an attempt to consolidate a united Arab position and mobilize international support for the Palestinian struggle.
A. Increasing popular resistance, without the use of firearms but the use of stones, Molotov cocktails, demonstrations, blocking roads and burning tires.
B. Political and media activity against the “fake Zionist narrative” that contradicts the Palestinian narrative.
C. Establishing a ministerial committee of Arab countries to attack Israel in the international arena.
d. Adherence to the Arab peace initiative.
E. Obtaining the support of the European countries for the recognition of a Palestinian state and support for the Palestinian request that the “State of Palestine” be accepted as a full member of the United Nations.
F. Progress in the reconciliation talks between the Fatah movement and the other Palestinian factions in the reconciliation talks in Algeria, provided that the factions agree to the terms of the international community regarding the Palestinian cause.
G. Strengthening the Palestinian economy and national institutions.
H. Conducting general presidential and parliamentary elections, including in East Jerusalem.
The road map presented by the chairman of the PA indicates the great frustration of the PA in view of Netanyahu’s return to power, Abu Mazen is very careful not to support a new armed intifada, already in the second intifada in 2000 he expressed strong opposition to this, unlike Yasser Arafat, and he believes that a new armed intifada will be a disaster for the Palestinians.
The Palestinian street is indifferent to the PA Chairman’s road map, for it there is nothing new in it and it reflects the weakness of the PA, which cannot present any ray of light or hope to the Palestinians.
