Growing voices in Ramallah calling for the dismantling of the Palestinian Authority due to a political stalemate with Israel have raised concern among Israeli experts, who warn that such a step would force the Jewish State to regain complete control over Palestinian territories.
While they believe the scenario is unrealistic at the moment, the experts warn of far-reaching ramifications should the threat materialize.
Former Shin Bet chief Yaacov Peri told Ynet that the Palestinians are trying to show Israel that the option is on the table, but are not going to go ahead with disbanding the Authority, due to its relative good standing in the West Bank.
“It is a live and kicking entity, which is also successful,” Peri explained, adding that “it manages to maintain law and order in the West Bank and is seen as legitimate by most of the international community – and we can see the results at the United Nations and UNESCO.
“They also managed to isolate Israel from the rest of the world’s nations,” Peri added.
The Palestinian leadership has no motive to dissolve the Authority, he said, but warned that “if negotiations don’t start soon, it might be a plausible act of either despair or protest.”
According to Lt. Col. (ret.) Moshe Marzouk, the move would constitute “a grave punishment for Israel, forcing it to regain complete security control over the Palestinian territories as well as being responsible for the education, health and all other civil aspects of the local residents’ life.
“This will bring us back to the Arafat era, before there was a Palestinian Authority,” he noted.
Marzouk, who is currently a senior researcher at the Institute for Counter-Terrorism at the Inter-Disciplinary Center in Herzliya, claimed that disbanding the Palestinian Authority would carry significant international ramifications.
“As it is our situation is not so good, but if there is no mediating body, it portrays us as an occupying power facing defenseless civilians. This is a problematic situation both legally and diplomatically,” he maintained.
‘Munipulation attempt’
Palestinian society and politics expert Prof. Hillel Frisch noted that Ramallah is well aware of the political vacuum such a move would create, and the risk of Hamas trying to fill the void.
Therefore, he stated, “I don’t think it is a realistic step, but rather a manipulation attempt to push Israel into dismantling the outposts and securing an American pledge to stop construction in the West Bank.”
Prof. Frisch noted that “there is no precedent in the history of humankind of a political entity that gave up on $3 billion and had the lives of hundreds of thousands of families depend on it.”
However, if the threat does materialize, Prof. Frisch does not believe it will be the end of the world: “There is a Civil Administration that was active in the region before the establishment of the Palestinian Authority and is still active today.
“It has municipal connections on the ground and will try to build a local technocratic government,” he added.
From a political viewpoint, Prof. Frisch believes the situation might actually alleviate some of the pressure on Israel because “there will not be any possibility of reaching a solution as long as there is no Palestinian governance.”
For Jews like Peri, maybe an enclave can be created called “Chelm”.
I think hardly any of the UNWRA “refugees” even qualify as refugees under HCR rules. If they did, millions of Germans would be demanding the right to re-occupy Schliessen, Pomern , Danzig, Ostpreussen and Sudetenland, and millions of Poles would demand to be resettled in western Belarus and Ukraine. The squatters, called “refugees”, should continue as UNWRA “citizens”, with no rights in the country they live in — which is exactly the status they have now in Arab countries. The only difference, is that Israel should pocket the money going to them instead of the PA kleptocrats. Israel can deduct the sum required for their protection and isolation, and for the protection of those around them, as well as administrative costs. Able-bodied individuals should receive no payment, and should pay taxes to the local (Jewish) governing authorities. The Arabs are using these people as cash cows. Israel should get a piece of the action.
Jack Golbert’s comment is correct. Israel should assume control of, and annex Judea and Samaria. Then clean it of jihadists, subversives and those institutions which finance and support them. The local Arabs may remain as Jordanian citizens and have civil rights, on good behavior. If they don’t want to live there, they have 22 wonderful Arab countries, not to mention Londonistan, to move to.
The State of Israel was compelled, against its will, to conquer Judea and Samaria. It will be compelled, against its will, to annex it. The Arab enemies of Israel must not be given Israeli citizenship. If Jordan will not accord them Jordanian citizenship, then they will be stateless persons with full civil rights and the right to vote in local elections only. All UNWRA institutions and personnel should be declared persona non grata and removed from the country. The “refugees” will then be under the UN High Commissioner for Refugees like all other refugees in the world. Or not, if the HCR refuses.
Peri is a known internal enemy. Our “isolation” is a feverish hope in the minds of Peri and his compadres. The Oslo Accords were, by miracle, voided by Peri’s partners the moment they refused to negotiate and went to their natural setting with the other monsters at the so called “un”.
As to the PA vamoosing. If the Arafat-Rabin-Peres concoction Authority ends, Israel must adopt Bland’s idea and facilitate their walk to Gaza. Peri can serve as their walking supporter.
I don’t think King Abdullah would like that idea. Misbehaving people belong in jail; and Israel has plenty of land available for such a jail: It’s called “Gaza”.
This would be a blessing and a resolution to the existential threat the PA poses to the state of Israel. Dissolve the PA annex all of J&S and declare the Arab inhabitants legal Jordanian residents of Israel who are welcome to stay and enjoy civil rights so long as they behave. If they don’t like that or misbehave, we send them across the river. This is the only peace plan that can work.
Abbas needs to be charged and tried for his part in the murder of countless Israeli citizens.