Whom Should We Believe - Washington or Ramallah?

16 July 2010
When the spokesman for the US Department of State announces that the administration of his country is "very confident" that the direct negotiations between the Palestinian [National] Authority in Ramallah and the Israeli side will be resumed, then we should expect that these meetings would take place within a few weeks if not within days. The US spokesman does not speak about wishes, but he has confirmed information that the two parties concerned accept moving to the direct negotiations, and that what remains is an issue of "producing" and preparing the appropriate circumstances, and perhaps preparing the Palestinian public opinion for this new qualitative shift as usual.

The spokesmen for the Palestinian [National] Authority [PNA] in Ramallah said that they are not going to the direct negotiations unless a progress is made in the indirect negotiations. The Israeli Government responded in a positive way to the understandings that had been reached during the government of Kadima, led by Ehud Olmert, on the border of the expected Palestinian state, and emphasized that they have not received any reply on this issue and that no progress has been made in the indirect negotiations.

Following his meeting with Binyamin Netanyahu at the White House 10 days ago, US President Barack Obama underlined the need for moving to the direct negotiations, unequivocally adopting the demands of his Israeli guest, and emphasizing, at the same time, that he is against any step that may harm Israel's security.

It is noteworthy that the US President contacted President Mahmud Abbas in Ramallah after his meeting with Netanyahu, and asked him - and we are not saying ordered him - to return to the direct negotiations, emphasizing at the same time, his commitment to the establishment of the independent Palestinian state.

We do not think that President Abbas can refuse a request or an order by the US President because this rejection means his end and the end of his authority and the halting of all forms of financial and political support for it. The donor countries offer the assistance to the PNA by instalments to pay the salaries of its army and employees monthly, and any delay in paying the salaries will mean waging an uprising against it in the streets and the joining of Hamas by a half or even more than three quarters of its employees since the Palestinian [National] Authority is not an authority for "liberation" but an authority that pays salaries, the same as the UNRWA, with a small difference that the UNRWA is affiliated with the United Nations while the PNA is affiliated with Washington and the Quartet. The moves that are going to take place in the next days will focus on how to find a way for the Palestinian [National] Authority to return to the direct negotiations the same as the! Arab Follow-up Committee paved the way for it to engage in the indirect negotiations without meeting the conditions of halting the settlement construction and the demolition of houses in the occupied Jerusalem.

Senator George Mitchell, the US peace envoy, arrived in the region yesterday, and he is certainly carrying several "formulas" to save the face of the Palestinian [National] Authority and its president and to facilitate his relinquishment of the stand of rejecting the direct negotiations. The expected meeting between President Abbas and his Egyptian counterpart Husni Mubarak in Sharm al-Shaykh on Sunday (if the latter's health allows this meeting) will certainly bless the US demand. President Mubarak may give the signal to his Foreign Minister Ahmad Abu-al-Ghayt to call for an extraordinary meeting for the foreign ministers of the Arab Follow-up Committee to give the blessing for the "not commendable" Palestinian return to the direct negotiations. There is nothing new and situation has not changed: Israel demands; Washington gives orders; the Arabs provide a cover; and the PNA implements.