26 February 2015

By Khalid Amayreh

The Palestinian Authority (PA) was created more than 20 years ago in order to advance Palestinian national interests, extricate the Palestinian people from the clutches of the enduring Israeli occupation and expedite the establishment of a viable independent Palestinian state.

Now, it is amply clear that the PA has utterly failed to achieve any of its stated goals. Indeed, the PA has more or less become the main obstacle impeding the creation of a true Palestinian state.

Moreover, the nearly total subservience of the PA to Israel, has actually enabled the Jewish-Zionist entity to effectively liquidate the Palestinian question under the rubric of a fictitious "peace process" which we all know has a form but no substance.

Indeed, under the false umbrella of that sham process, Israel has nearly completely eradicated any remaining prospects for true Palestinian statehood. This was done by expanding Jewish settlements throughout the West Bank and confiscating hundreds of thousands of acres of Palestinian land, leaving no sufficient space for the creation a meaningful Palestinian entity worthy of the name.

As to Jerusalem, the city Israel occupied in 1967 and which Palestinians insist will be the future capital of their would-be state, we exaggerate very little by saying that its erstwhile Arab-Muslim identity has been obliterated.

Tormenting Palestinians on Israel's behalf

Needless to say, the PA, which was supposed to be an equal peace partner vis-à-vis Israel according to the hapless Oslo Accords has effectively been reduced to a vanquished supplicant, begging Israel for almost everything from travel permits, water and electricity supplies to the monthly salaries of its security personnel and civil servants.

Moreover, the humiliation meted out to the PA by an insolent Israel is actually reapplied or projected to the Palestinian masses in a variety of ways.

The humiliation is highlighted by the fact that hundreds of thousands of Palestinians rely for their livelihood and financial survival on salaries they receive from the PA. And when these salaries are withheld by Israel, for the purpose of blackmailing the PA into making political concessions, the suffering Palestinians are pushed to the brink of bankruptcy, or even worse.

PA: no dignity, No honor

It is particularly lamentable that the PA continues to torment and mistreat its own people in order to obtain a certificate of good conduct from the occupying power. The PA security agencies continue to arrest Palestinian activists on Israel's behalf. Even basic human rights and civil liberties are denied in order to appease Israel.

This happens in the context of the so-called Security Coordination Regime between the PA and Israel whereby the latter acts as informer and policeman for the former. In fact, the PA regime has been frequently described as a "Palestinian Judenrat" serving the security and political interest of Israel.

Very often, the PA seeks to vent its frustration by blaming Hamas, the Palestinian Islamic resistance group, which Israel views as its archenemy.

Hamas won general elections in 2006 to the chagrin of the PA, Israel and the United States, Israel's guardian-ally.

Hamas is also especially hated for putting up a meaningful resistance to Israel's recurrent military aggressions, which effectively thwarted Israeli plans to liquidate the Palestinian cause.

Many observers believe that Hamas stands behind PA reluctance to give far-reaching concessions to Israel.

Groveling at Sissi's feet

The PA has also been betraying the Palestinian people in other ways as well. The PA has reacted rather enthusiastically to a ruling by an Egyptian "court" decision declaring Hamas a terrorist organization. The ruling is viewed by most Palestinians and honorable Egyptians as tantamount to committing an act of fornication with truth if only because Hamas represents the pinnacle of Arab and Muslim honor in our time.

We all know that the entire Egyptian justice system under the Sissi gang has been reduced to a mere rubber stamp in the hands of the murderous dictator.

PA mouthpieces claim rather gloatingly that Hamas has actually incurred the hostile Egyptian measure on itself as a result of its refusal to pay lip service to the bloody coup gang against the legitimate and democratically-elected President, Dr. Muhammad Mursi.

But, would it have been morally correct if Hamas had sided with the murderers against the victims in Egypt? Should Hamas have told the evil tyrant, Bravo, for murdering thousands in cold blood? Had it done so, then all Palestinians, Arabs and Muslims as well as supporters of the Palestinian national cause, would be in no position to blame Israel's supporters. Yes, it is understandable that an entity safeguards its interests. However, it is never acceptable that one sacrifices one's moral principles for the sake of immediate expediency.

Moral correctness 

Hamas actually adopted the morally and religiously correct stand against an illegitimate criminal authority. Yes, this stand made the coup mongers in Cairo furious, as expected. But was Hamas expected to call Sissi an angel of peace and love after all he did to his own people?

Besides, does anyone in his or her right mind really think that those have murdered maimed and tormented their own people in order to usurp power will be qualified as liberators of Palestine and saviors of its people?

Moreover, is there a single Palestinian under the sun who might think that of Hamas as a terrorist organization? Such a person, if he or she ever existed, would rather be either an ignoramus or traitor or both.

In fact, the indictment of Hamas is actually tantamount to indicting the entire Palestinian people. Indeed, a court that considers Hamas a terrorist group would also consider Fatah a terrorist group as well. After all, both Fatah and Hamas are partners in the same long national struggle for freedom and liberation from the Nazi-like occupation.

It would also indict all Palestinian martyrs and fallen leaders from Izzidin al-Qassam to Yasser Arafat as terrorists.

Finally, I want to ask the Ramallah regime this question: for which cause and for what sake you are cheapening yourself and your people? And what have you accomplished by clinging to these treacherous and bankrupt regimes?

Khalid Amayreh is a veteran Palestinian journalist and political commentator living in occupied Palestine 

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