Published: 25 August 2020
Last updated: 4 March 2024
‘Betrayal,’ with a personal touch: Why the PA is so angry at the Israel-UAE deal (Times of Israel)
There are two main reasons why the Israel-UAE agreement has caused such furious reactions in Ramallah. The first is political and well-known – the loss of prestige for the Israel-Palestinian conflict: Suddenly, the UAE, which is a primary player in the Sunni Arab field, is putting its own interests before those of the Palestinians, and striding, head held high, to normalize relations with Israel.
To a large extent, the PA’s reaction is reminiscent of the PLO’s affront at the Israel-Egypt peace agreement. Also, one of the regular carrots dangled before Israel in negotiations with the Palestinians is that if a peace agreement is achieved, then peace with the Sunni Arab states will soon follow. Well, that hasn’t proved to be the case. This means Israel’s already weak motivation to renew negotiations with the Palestinians now all but disappears.
The second reason, which may carry more psychological weight, is related to Mohammad Dahlan, advisor to Mohammed bin Zayed, Crown Prince of the United Arab Emirates, also known by his acronym MBZ. Dahlan is viewed by many as the nemesis of PA President Mahmoud Abbas.
The Old Man, as Abbas is known among his men, views this agreement as an especially conspiratorial attempt by Dahlan to once again oust him from the presidency and, this time, also to harm the Palestinian Authority itself.
The hatred between Abbas and his former Gaza security chief and key adviser runs deep. It began at the end of 2010, when Dahlan leaked reports to Arab media alleging corruption by Abbas’s two sons, Tarek and Yasser, and rumours began circulating of his intention to stage a coup.
In 2011, Dahlan, who was among the prominent contenders to succeed Abbas, was forced out of the West Bank — three years after Hamas had expelled his men from Gaza — from where he relocated to the UAE.
The elephant at the Palestinian anti-annexation rally (Haaretz)
AMIRA HASS: Last week's anti-annexation rally demonstrated mainly fatigue and weakness. And who didn’t show up? The man rumored to be the broker of the agreement between Israel and the United Arab Emirates
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Palestinian farmers lose hundreds of olive, fig trees to West Bank vandals (Haaretz)
Farmer's estimate puts damage caused, including destruction of irrigation system at the site, to be about 200,000 shekels
Photo: Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas (AP/Alaa Badarneh)
