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The Palestinians' Eternal "No"

(New York Post) Benny Avni - Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas boycotted last week's economic workshop in Bahrain - aimed at creating jobs and opportunity for Palestinians - and his PA vowed to punish anyone going to the conference. Palestinian media trashed those who went as collaborators with Israel and traitors. Such accusations are "unconscionable," tweeted U.S. Middle East envoy Jason Greenblatt: "No! Betrayal is the PA arresting its own people for having the courage to discuss new ideas for a better life." We've seen Palestinian rejection of well-intentioned outside help before. Remember Israel's 2005 withdrawal of all Israeli communities and soldiers from Gaza? Outside donors raised $13 million to assure that the Israeli greenhouses, growing flowers and vegetables for export to Europe, would be transferred to Gazans. But hours after the last Israeli community was evacuated, a Palestinian mob looted and burned those greenhouses. David Harris, CEO of the American Jewish Committee, said an Arab leader at the Bahrain conference told him that the Palestinians "are no longer a priority. No matter what's on the peace table, their reply is always no. We want strategic and economic ties with Israel and don't want to be held back by them." The Bahrain conference showed that the main stumbling block to creating a Palestinian state is Palestinian leaders.
2019-07-05 00:00:00
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