The proposal to return the Palestinians to the center of the stage undermines stability in the Middle East, which serves American interests.
“A hot wind is blowing in the east, and the dry grass is waiting for a spark” is the opening line of a November 29 opinion piece in The Washington Post by two former American diplomats. They describe their expected reality of Israelis and Palestinians under the new government in Israel.
In their opinion, three forces operate in the region: a weak Palestinian Authority, a “radical right-wing” government, and a risk-averse Democratic administration. Hovering in the background are Iranian activities and the countries of the Abraham Accords “burying their heads in the sand” by ignoring the Palestinian issue.
The authors of the op-ed call on President Joe Biden to take measures against the incoming Netanyahu government, such as boycotting two ministers – Itamar Ben-Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich – whom they define as radical right.
They also call on Biden to warn the four countries of the Abraham Accords that if they do not return the Palestinian issue to the agenda, the US will take action against them.
The op-ed probably reflects a sincere concern for the Jewish state’s future by concerned American Jews who served Democratic administrations and dealt with the Middle East. They were so worried about the inability of the people in Israel to take care of their state’s future that they felt compelled to act to save the Jewish state despite itself.
Beyond the arrogance of their approach, it amounts to a blatant violation of avoiding interference in the internal affairs of a foreign country – one that is also an ally – and a rejection of the results of a democratic process (the only one that exists in the entire Middle East). Their advocacy is also tainted with self-righteousness. While their country is politically polarized today, almost without precedent, they are preaching to the State of Israel.
They should focus on their own country. A violent mob attacked Congress; a former president leads an audience of tens of millions who question the integrity of liberal America and claim that the election was stolen; racist, neo-Nazi, and violent rednecks stain the annals of America; and the Supreme Court with a conservative majority overturns laws of the House of Representatives, questioning women’s rights.
Despite the collapse of the paradigm that claimed the solution to the Palestinian problem is the key for Arab states normalizing relations with Israel, and despite the Abraham Accords that led to a new regional structure that contributes to the stability of the Middle East and its prosperity – the writers nevertheless insist on resurrecting the failed paradigm that for generations gave the Palestinians the power of veto on any progress and normalization with the Arab world.
The questionable strategic logic of former president Barack Obama, who saw Iran and the Muslim Brotherhood as part of the solution to the Middle East’s problems instead of the causes of the Middle East’s problems, underlies the authors’ proposal. Supporting the neighborhood bully, the problematic factor, and trying to please and recruit him to cooperate is delusional.
The meaning of the proposal is the destabilization of the new regional order in the Middle East buttressed by the Abraham Accords.
The writers’ obsession with the Palestinian issue is strange because it is unconnected to the region’s main problems. The writers ignore the decline of the power of the Palestinian Authority and the widespread rot in Palestinian politics. It is a fragmented and divided entity suffering from corruption, nepotism, and chronic dysfunction, which leads to a governmental vacuum.
The PA lost the monopoly on the use of force, which led to the growth of terrorist hotbeds in northern Samaria that spread to the other districts of the PA. The Palestinian Authority is also under challenge by Hamas and Islamic Jihad – the terrorist organizations sponsored by Iran. Moreover, it is an authority that has lost the remnants of any legitimacy it once had.
The authors of The Washington Post article do not understand the depth of Palestinian society’s crisis and the PA’s inability to contribute to stability in the region.
It would also be appropriate to remind them that Israeli democracy is strong and stable. They may not like the election results, but they must respect them. Ultimately, the State of Israel, its government, and its people will be judged by actions, not public statements or election slogans. That is why it is too early to call for boycotts and cuts in American aid to Israel.
The authors also ignore that Israel is the most crucial strategic asset the US has in the Middle East – one that guarantees regional stability and security. Jerusalem has been a significant contributor in the war against Islamic terrorism in the region and the world, and is a military, intelligence, technological, and political asset of the US. There is no stable and surviving Jordanian kingdom without Israel and no fight against Iranian aggression and quest for hegemony in the region without Israel.
Israel is a regional power that saves the USA many resources. It will faithfully serve the strategic interests of the US even in the framework of China-US rivalry. Israel is also an asset beyond the Middle East, for example, the I2U2 (Israel-India-USA-United Emirates) forum.
Even the Arab countries in the region (those that have peace agreements with Israel and those that do not) recognize Israel’s assets. They are concerned about American weakness vis-à-vis Iran and the US’s attempts to distance itself from its traditional allies.
Israel’s network of ties with Arab countries in the region is developing and expanding despite the Palestinian problem. It would be a great folly to turn back the wheel and entrust the region’s fate to an incompetent and irresponsible Palestinian leadership.
Furthermore, the writers reflect on the growing distance between progressive Judaism in the USA and the State of Israel. This gap between Israel and the Jewish community in America is problematic, as Israel has critically benefited from the political clout of the American Jewish community. Nowadays, Israel needs American Jewish support in the fight against delegitimization and boycott efforts.
The incoming Israeli government must try to preserve the relationship with American Jewry (a strategic asset) and maintain bipartisan support. On the other hand, American Jewry must internalize that the center of gravity of the Jewish people has long been located in the democratic and powerful state of the Jews. Even if American Jews see flaws in Israel’s conduct, they should respect the democratic process in Israel.
JISS Policy Papers are published through the generosity of the Greg Rosshandler Family.
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