It needs reform. A process which it has started. Israel also need to stop undermining the PA and thwarting the only viable alternative to Hamas Israel’s government has systematically undermined the capacity and legitimacy of the only viable alternative to Hamas: the Palestinian Authority. Consider funding. Israel continues to hold back PA tax revenues that it collects on behalf of the Palestinians, funds that belong to the Palestinians—and that the PA needs to pay people who provide essential services like health care and security in the West Bank, which is vital to Israel’s own security. Just this week, US engagement led Israel to agree to unlock hundreds of millions of dollars in PA tax revenues—a welcome step. But these funds never should have been withheld in the first place. And Israel continues to hold more than half a billion dollars in tax revenues that the PA urgently needs and the Palestinians are entitled to. In the West Bank, Israel is expanding official settlements and nationalizing land at a faster clip than any time in the last decade, while turning a blind eye to unprecedented growth in illegal outposts. Violent attacks by extremist settlers against Palestinian civilians have reached record levels. We’ve long made the point to the Israeli government that Hamas cannot be defeated by a military campaign alone—that without a clear alternative, a post-conflict plan, and a credible political horizon for the Palestinians, Hamas, or something just as abhorrent and dangerous, will grow back. Israelis must decide what relationship they want with the Palestinians. That cannot be the illusion that Palestinians will accept being a non-people without national rights. Seven million Israeli Jews and some five million Palestinians are rooted in the same land. Neither is going anywhere. Israelis must abandon the myth that they can carry out de-facto annexation without cost and consequence to Israel’s democracy, to its standing, to its security.
This is unbelievably asinine. You devote all of three words to criticise the PA ("It needs reform" - understatement of the century), and then proceed immediately into your usual hit and run attack on Israel. Israel withholds trade and tariff-related taxes from the PA because the latter owes over half a billion dollars to Israel in unpaid bills for energy - which Israel supplies to PA-controlled areas. Just last month, the cabinet approved the transfer of appx 800million NIS to Israel Electric Corp for monies owed, because the size of the debt hole PA negligence had created for it was causing serious solvency and credit issues. If the Palestinians paid for services and utilities received, there would be no need to withhold this money. But since the world continues to infantilise them, they don't.
The 'hit and run' attack as you put it, is actually from Anthony Blinken's policy statement to the Atlantic council on how a post war Gaza administration should look. The withholding of tax revenues is one issue, but you've conveniently skipped over the wider issue about illegal settlements, annexation of Palestinian territories, attacks on civilians in the west bank and perhaps the most fundamental equation in all of this Israelis must decide what relationship they want with the Palestinians. That cannot be the illusion that Palestinians will accept being a non-people without national rights. Seven million Israeli Jews and some five million Palestinians are rooted in the same land. Neither is going anywhere. Israelis must abandon the myth that they can carry out de-facto annexation without cost and consequence to Israel’s democracy, to its standing, to its security. This should be a road map without Hamas. But if it isn't going to be a reformed PA, then who ? Trump's idea is for the birds and will lead to another long and dirty war. And as we've seen an endless and misguided military campaign that believes it can 'crush' insurgency We’ve long made the point to the Israeli government that Hamas cannot be defeated by a military campaign alone—that without a clear alternative, a post-conflict plan, and a credible political horizon for the Palestinians, Hamas, or something just as abhorrent and dangerous, will grow back. That’s exactly what’s happened in northern Gaza since October 7th. Each time Israel completes its military operations and pulls back, Hamas militants regroup and reemerge, because there’s nothing else to fill the void. Indeed, we assess that Hamas has recruited almost as many new militants as it has lost. That is a recipe for an enduring insurgency and perpetual war. So what comes next. Trump's golf course ? Netanyahu's endless war which breeds a new generations of militants ? or support for the PA to govern properly with international oversight ?
Anyway, I cba to trade digs with you @Citizen Kane. because that is a pointless exercise. If you're interested, there's a comprehensive document from the Washington institute on PA reform https://www.washingtoninstitute.org/media/7592
I make the mistake of thinking this thread can have some constructive debate. And there was me being polite to a Spurs fan as well.
I don't necessarily disagree with any of that, and I've condemned Trump's plan, settlements etc. pretty regularly on here. My only point is that Israel withholding or outright confiscating PA tax revenues has been going on for absolutely ages and is very very easy to explain: Palestinians living under PA governance consume electricity and gas supplied by Israel, but don't pay the bill. Ever. Israel turns a blind eye to this for months and sometimes years, up to the point that either of the following happens: - Israel's energy sector starts to slide as a result of the debt hole (this happened in mid January). - Leverage is needed over the PA to comply with various security concerns.
It's long, but it's worth a read of the PA reform document. I don't know where any of that stands right now with Trump firing off his la la land plans But it's a roadmap for proper governance, if all of the stakeholders can get on board.
Thanks for posting, I'll try to read it asap. Forgive me for already being sceptical though. Is it worth the paper it's written on? Consider Article 28 of Hamas' most recent Charter: "Hamas believes in, and adheres to, managing its Palestinian relations on the basis of pluralism, democracy, national partnership, acceptance of the other and the adoption of dialogue." You'd struggle to read a more false sentence anywhere. So I'll read the document, but if by the end of its first paragraph, Mahmoud Abbas hasn't been sentenced to a lifetime cleaning the loos in your water park with his moustache, I'll stop reading.
And fwiw, I've got a lot of respect for Blinken. He served with a tremendous amount of dignity and diligence during a horrific period. Probably the only senior member of the Biden admin to emerge with his head held high. In a country whose political class appears to be entirely scandal ridden, he comes across as very earnest and sincere man who actually cares about the lives his decisions impact.
Any roadmap needs to cut Hamas out of the equation. As for Abbas, on Page 7 A key feature of the PA’s dysfunction is concentration of power in the hands of President Abbas. Like his predecessor Arafat, the current executive controls all levers of national power. Abbas has brought the security forces under his direct control, dissolved the Legislative Council, subordinated the judiciary to his will, and refused to appoint a deputy or clarify the succession process, even though he turns eighty-nine in November. While separation of powers is called for in the Palestinian Basic Law— the de facto PA constitution—the leadership ignores this requirement and functions instead as an authoritarian regime. This is why any PA reform effort must start at the top. Abbas must be persuaded to resign and national responsibilities must be devolved to other governing actors. Otherwise, Palestinians themselves will view any reform effort with skepticism
He's a huge loss for the US and the middle east. I have no idea how Witkoff and Rubio will handle this, but if they just crumble to the will of Trump, then it's dark days ahead.
Trump's la la land, Greenland and Canada 'plans' are simply mis-direction, he does that so the reporters focus on that and not him dismantling the checks and balances in the US govt.
I think he’d genuinely do those things if he could and his mouthing off makes headlines, but you’re right in that it’s a massive distraction from what’s going on in Govt like you say, dismantling the core of a democratic and accountable federal govt, sacking employees left right and centre, disbanding USaid, cutting funding for DEI, placing sanctions on ICC employees, disbanding task force targeting Russian oligarchs, pardoning violent criminals who are sympathetic to him, appointing people who want to disband the FBI and other core federal departments and giving Musk and his cronies in DOGE vast overreach for unelected officials into all sorts of areas of Govt. You’ll get the happy clappers cheering coz he’s sending the darkies home, but little do they seem to realise that he’s dismantling the very fabric of an elected and accountable federal govt
HAMAS: Hostage releases delayed until further notice. Reason unknown at the moment, this weekend's hostage releases postponed.
The PA has signed legislation ending the Palestinian Martyrs Fund. This fund, established in 1964 and with a budget (most recently) of appx £200million per years, pays a monthly stipend to the families of Palestinians who are either killed, injured or imprisoned in the course of violence against Israel and Israeli citizens. The fund does not distinguish between acts of crime and acts of terror. All are rewarded. Unless you are Fosse or Archers, you can probably spot how and why this Fund might have been a bit of an obstacle on the road to peace. It is a very, very good thing that it has come to an end, and Trump takes full credit for getting it done. Abbas is finally pissing his incontinence pants.
