The inexorable theater of granting a ceremonial state to the people who utterly refuse to negotiate or compromise with Israel is lurching to a close. The AP analysis is all aw-shucks, that guy is working hard for his state, isn’t he? I won’t bother going over to rags like al-Guardian, whose writers and editors are simply wetting themselves with glee over current events. But here’s a fun part of the AP analysis:
If the Palestinians suspect foot-dragging in the Security Council, they will consider their options, Abbas advisers said. This might include going to the General Assembly or dissolving the Palestinian Authority, the self-rule government established in the mid-1990s as part of interim agreements with Israel
Dissolving the Palestinian Authority and effectively stepping down has been Abbas’ doomsday weapon. It would spell the collapse of two decades of U.S. policy in the region and would force Israel, as occupying power, to assume responsibility for nearly 4 million Palestinians, a costly task now largely funded by the international community.
“Handing the keys to the Israeli side has become a very realistic option,” said Azzam Ahmed, a leader of Abbas’ Fatah movement.
What? Break up the PA and give up all those billions of international dollars that the kleptocracy has been skimming these past forty-plus years? Give up the fancy villas, the imported cars, the Swiss bank accounts? Really? Karen Laub, are you that naive, or is it your job to repeat the lies of the Palestinians uncritically? (Whoops, just answered my own question there.)
By the way, as I mentioned yesterday, look at this description of Netanyahu, the man who is willing to negotiate with the Palestinians:
Netanyahu – a longtime hard-liner who reluctantly accepted the idea of a Palestinian state last year – called again this week for direct talks. However, he has rejected the Palestinian demand that all settlement construction be halted while talks on the future of the territories are held. Netanyahu has also said Israel will keep east Jerusalem and significant chunks of the West Bank, citing concerns that any territory Israel relinquishes might be used to launch attacks on the Jewish state.
Compare that with this description—in the lead—of Abbas:
The drama over the Palestinians’ bid for U.N. recognition is still unfolding, but President Mahmoud Abbas appears to have won new respect at home for standing up to the United States and moving their decades-long quest for statehood back to the center of the world stage.
The narrative. Yeah, we got that.